By Riley Finch
Good evening and welcome to a top of group H clash between Italian giants AC Milan and the up and French side Lille.
I will be bringing you all the action as it unfolds. Let’s hope we are in for an entertaining night.
Whoever wins tonight’s match will top group H with only three games remaining and both managers will be aching to reach the top spot.
Both sides are unbeaten so far this year and this will certainly be the tie of the night.
Lille are in high spirits ahead of another match between the two sides
Here are tonight’s line-ups
All eyes will be set on European superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic who leads the line for AC Milan. He is currently the top scorer in Serie A. Young prospect Gianluigi Donnarumma will have to be on his toes tonight against a deadly Lille attack.
Lille may have the lesser known squad tonight but its packed full of quality with them sitting second in Ligue 1. Goals are sure to come with Jonathan Bamba around and experienced captain Jose Fonte will have to lead a well organised defence to silence the AC Milan attack.
We are almost underway at the the San Siro. Both teams have arrived and are more than fired up.
First-half
00′ The ref blows his whistle and we are underway at the San Siro
05′ Both sides with a clear respect for each other, they seem very reluctant to move the ball forward and are simply just knocking the ball about at the moment.
07′ First half chance of the game. Diogo Dalot finds himself in a promising position but fluffs the cross high over all the Milan players and Ibrahimovic is not happy.
That’s one teammate you wouldn’t want to upset. He does karate you know
12′ No messing about from this Lille team, they have already fouled AC Milan players four times already this match. Could be a physical contest for the Italian side.
15′ The ball is beautifully switched across the field to Theo Hernandez who lashes a shot against a Lille defender which almost sneaks past his own post.
18′ Ibrahimovic slides the ball into Hernandez who charges into the box and almost thunders it into the bottom corner but once again he is thwarted by a Lille defender.
20′ WHAT A MESS
Dalot attempts to head the ball back to his keeper but its way too short and Jonathan David latches on to the loose ball forcing a relatively easy save from the Donnarumma almost getting his first goal of the season.
19′ PENALTY (Lille)
That’s a soft one in my book, if Lille score this it will be totally against the run of play and has all come about from that calamitous short header back from Dalot only moments before. Will he score?
22′ GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL (Lille)
Yusuf Yazici cooly puts the ball past Donnarumma and its one-nil to the visitors. Totally against the run of play, Milan will be so disappointed.
Its no shock, Yazici has been in great form recently for the french side.
25′ Ibrahimovic thunders a free-kick towards the Lille goalie but its straight at him and is comfortably saved, I say comfortably but it must have hurt. That’s one shot I wouldn’t want to be in the way of. Ouch.
29′ Here a question for you, which of the two young midfield maestros would you rather have in your squad?
35′ Its our first yellow card of the night as Xeca clings on to Brahim Diaz for dear life wrestling him into the ground. Its not the first foul and it certainly wont be the last for the rough Lille team.
37′ Another ball finds its way to fullback/winger/striker Hernandez who just hesitates and blasts the ball straight at Mike Maignan.
43′ If anyone can bring Milan back into this game its this man but its been a frustrating night for the European talisman, will he be able to come alive in this game.
45′ Half -time
No time is added on and the referee blows for half-time with Lille leading at the break
Talking points
Milan have certainly had the better chances in the game and have enjoyed lucrative possession in the game with 60% of the ball, issue is they haven’t done much with it.
If they are to do anything in this game they need to try and implement Ibrahimovic into the game with some quality in the final third, if anyone can have an impact it will be him. Perhaps they should look to the bench and bring on creative midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu to inject some creativity into the Milan attack, perhaps even Ante Rebic who starred in this competition last year.
Lille look so dangerous on the counter attack and are so hard to break down. They are happy to give Milan the ball and let them work it because they are so quick to thwart any kind of decisive passes or creative chances, happy to sacrifice a foul just to stop Milan getting in their groove.
The coolly slotted penalty from Yazici is the only goal which separates the game as it stands.
I have a feeling we are in for a couple more goals in the second half, the game is far from over. The second half will resume shortly.
Second-half
45′ The second half is underway
45′ Its a double change from Milan, what sort of impact will they have on the game? Whoever thought to bring Calhanoglu on is clearly a footballing genius, just make me the manager now Milan.
50′ Set-piece specialist Calhanoglu takes his second corner and the ball falls to Frank Kessie who blasts it over the bar, promising start from the Italian giants though. Calhanoglu already creating chances.
54′ Milan were almost in trouble again as Xeca finds himself running across the box with Ikone opposite him but the wayward ball cant find the Frenchman and its overrun to a Milan player.
55′ GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLL (Lille) WHAT A HIT
Its Yazici again who lashes the ball from outside the box towards the bottom right corner and Donnarumma cant seem to get enough on it to prevent Lille doubling their lead. Keeper has to do better there but Yazici wont care. His second of the match. Could he be onto another hattrick?
58′ GOOOOOAAAAALLLLL (Lille) HATTRICK HERO! WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT?
Yazici secures an incredible hattrick only minutes after scoring his second with a composed side footed finish from a comfy pass from Ikone.
Incredibly if the score-line stayed like this it would be Milan’s biggest defeat ever in Europe at the San Siro. This could start getting embarrassing now.
The Lille admin is the definition of lost for words.
The man cant stop scoring in this competition
Another double change for Milan as they desperately try and get themselves a foot hold in this game. Ibrahimovic is anything but happy to find himself off the pitch
65′ Substitution
Lille who are in absolute cruise control make a double sub as Benjamin André replaces Xeka and Isaac Lihadji replaces Ikoné.
69′ Yazici almost grabs himself an assist as well but Jonathan David continues his goal drought.
70′ Yazici clearly brimming with confidence, seems like that corner was a shot at goal, suppose with his goal scoring from you wouldn’t be surprised to see it go in.
73′ Going for his fourth Yazici twists and turns inside the box firing a side footed shot at the near post forcing a save from Donnarumma. Surely we wont see the Turkish international bag a fourth goal tonight will we? He’s not even a striker, he’s a midfielder.
78′ Its a final change for Milan but there seems to be little hope for them at this stage.
80′ SUBSTITUTION
Yazici’s night is over as he makes way for Burak Yilmaz and what a night he’s had, likely to come away with the man of the match award as well as the match ball.
Renato Sanches also makes way for Boubakary Soumare.
83′ Alessio Romagnoli has to bring down David as he looked to dance away towards the AC Milan goal. Gets a yellow card for his troubles.
85′ SUBSTITUION
Lille are looking for that clean sheet and take of attacking prospect Bamba and Reinildo Mandava who slots in at left-back. This could be the ultimate performance for the french side.
90′ I think the Man of the match debate will be pretty clear cut tonight. What a game from Yazici.
90+1′ Can Milan grab a late goal clawing back some dignity and protecting their impressive home record in Europe or will it be history made for the French side?
90+4 FULL TIME
That puts and end to tonights game as Lile stun AC MIlan with a three-nil victory.
A night to forget for AC Milan
POST MATCH
Lille top group-H and continue their unbeaten streak by beating AC Milan three-nil in a record breaking defeat for the Italian giants. They are a long way away from getting back to the once dominate European side they once were.
That’s all from me tonight, hope you enjoyed the game. Good night
