Tijjani Reijnders tested the goalkeeper early with a long-range strike, but it was a straightforward save. Moments later, Rafael Leão came much closer after sprinting onto an Álvaro Morata through ball, forcing the shot-stopper into an impressive save with his trailing leg to deflect the angled drive just wide.
Milan, however, nearly found themselves behind after 17 minutes when a series of poor defensive headers failed to clear the danger. Andrija Maksimovic pounced, smashing a powerful shot against the crossbar, and Young-Woo Seol’s follow-up effort went straight into Mike Maignan’s hands.
The Rossoneri then suffered a double blow as both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Álvaro Morata were forced off with injuries in quick succession. Tammy Abraham came on and made an immediate impact, narrowly missing a header with his first touch. Shortly after, his free kick took a deflection and went wide, and another promising move fell apart when he failed to complete a one-two with Leão in the penalty area.
Milan finally broke the deadlock with a moment of brilliance. Youssouf Fofana lofted a perfectly weighted ball over the top, allowing Rafael Leão to beat the offside trap. The Portuguese winger controlled the ball with his right boot and calmly slotted it past the onrushing goalkeeper with his left foot from 15 yards out.
Crvena Zvezda equalized after a costly error in midfield. Former Torino winger Nemanja Radonjić dispossessed a sluggish Yunus Musah and unleashed a stunning strike from the edge of the box, leaving Maignan no chance.
Rather than rally for a quick response, Milan found themselves under increasing pressure. Ivanic came close to turning the game around for the hosts, breaking the offside trap and flashing a dangerous angled shot inches wide.
Against the run of play, Milan found a late winner. In the dying minutes, substitute Francesco Camarda rose to meet a cross with a looping header that struck the crossbar. Tammy Abraham reacted quickest to the rebound, slotting home from four yards to secure a hard-fought victory for the Rossoneri.
