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Bayer Leverkusen ended a five-match winless home run against Italian opposition by seeing off AC Milan at the BayArena, making it back-to-back victories to open their UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign in the process. Visitors Milan were comfortably beaten on match day one of this competition by Liverpool, and they looked intent on avoiding another reverse as they set up to frustrate Leverkusen here.
Die Werkself dominated the first half without reward, but it wasn’t the result of a lack of effort from Xabi Alonso’s men. Victor Boniface and Piero Hincapié were both denied by Mike Maignan in the Rossoneri goal inside five minutes, while Boniface had a strike ruled out at the half’s midway point as Jeremie Frimpong was offside in the build-up.
The hosts were determined to make their supremacy count, but marauding wing-back Frimpong fired over on two separate rebounds before Amine Adli was denied by Maignan. Milan managed just a single shot of any description before the break, though they went into the interval aggrieved at being denied a penalty after Tammy Abraham was felled by Edmond Tapsoba in the box.
There was no change to the pattern of play following the restart, with Maignan forced into a smart save to deny Florian Wirtz in the second half’s early stages. Leverkusen would not be denied for much longer though, as they broke the deadlock with a gorgeous piece of football. Aleix Garcia unlocked the Milan defense with a pinpoint through ball to find Alejandro Grimaldo, who back heeled into the path of Frimpong.
The Dutchman was thwarted by Maignan, but Boniface was there to turn home the rebound from point-blank range and give Die Werkself a deserved lead. That goal opened the game up, and only the outstretched arm of Lukas Hradecky prevented Tijjani Reijnders from restoring parity for the visitors.
Youssouf Fofana twice threatened to grab an equalizer soon after, while substitute Álvaro Morata had hearts in mouths all around the BayArena when he blocked Hradecky’s attempted clearance and the ball deflected over the bar. While Leverkusen are no strangers to late heroics, Alonso appeared keen to avoid falling victim to a last-gasp heartbreaker here as his side regained control.
Despite that, the hosts were indebted to the woodwork for preserving their victory as Theo Hernandez’s shot deflected against the bar before Morata headed the rebound wide. That was as close as Milan would come, meaning they’ve won just one of their last seven UCL trips and have opened up this season’s campaign with back-to-back defeats.
