The reigning European champions, Real Madrid, delivered a disappointing performance as they suffered their second defeat in the Champions League group stage. Defensive vulnerabilities once again plagued Los Blancos, while their usually potent attack fell quiet, resulting in a 3-1 home loss to AC Milan.
Carlo Ancelotti’s squad struggled to find rhythm in the final third, with Milan pressing effectively and capitalizing on Madrid’s lapses. Kylian Mbappe, visibly frustrated, was unable to connect effectively with Vinicius Jr., as their partnership continued to struggle in finding real cohesion.
Milan, meanwhile, began the match with greater intensity and fully deserved their early breakthrough. Christian Pulisic delivered a precise corner that Malick Thiaw met with a powerful header to open the scoring. Real Madrid nearly responded immediately when Mbappe surged into the box, but Milan’s keeper Mike Maignan was up to the task, making one of his nine saves of the night to keep Milan ahead.
Vinicius Jr. managed to equalize in the 23rd minute, calmly converting a penalty after Emerson’s clumsy challenge brought him down in the box. However, Milan regained the lead just before halftime, with Alvaro Morata pouncing on a loose ball after Andriy Lunin parried Rafael Leao’s shot directly into his path.
Real Madrid showed more attacking intent after the break, pushing forward in search of an equalizer, but their high press left them exposed on the counter. Milan exploited these gaps ruthlessly, with Rafael Leao tearing past Lucas Vazquez and setting up Jan Reijnders for a third goal, effectively putting the game out of reach. Real Madrid had a glimmer of hope late in the match when Antonio Rudiger struck a well-placed shot into the bottom corner, but VAR disallowed it for a narrow offside.
Madrid’s struggles continue as they face mounting pressure in the group stage, needing a stronger defensive effort and more cohesion in attack if they hope to advance.
