- Chelsea visited AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday October 11 2022
- This was just six days after the reverse fixture in London which Chelsea won 3-0
- The Blues eased past Milan to go top of Group E with a comfortable win in San Siro
Chelsea earned their first Champions League win in Italy in 19 years thanks to a 2-0 win over 10-man Milan San Siro to move to the top of Group E.
A 4-0 victory over Lazio in November 2003 had represented the Blues’ last win on Italian soil in Europe’s elite club competition, but this was similarly routine following a contentious Fikayo Tomori red card.
Jorginho’s penalty gave the visitors a 21st-minute lead after former Chelsea defender Tomori was dismissed for fouling Mason Mount in the box.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then doubled the lead before half-time, with that enough to send Graham Potter’s side to the pool summit following Salzburg’s 1-1 draw with Dinamo Zagreb.
Chelsea forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring the second against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday October 11 2022 at San Siro. | PHOTO: Courtesy |
Milan were reduced to 10 men in the 18th minute when Tomori was controversially shown a straight red after tangling with Mount in the box when the Chelsea man was through on goal. Jorginho then calmly sent Ciprian Tatarusanu the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Olivier Giroud, another former Chelsea player, squandered a glorious opportunity to equalise for Milan in the 27th minute, heading Brahim Diaz’s inviting cross wide from eight yards out.
And the Rossoneri were to rue their wastefulness as Chelsea doubled their lead seven minutes later. As he had in a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge six days earlier, Aubameyang netted the second with a clinical finish from Mount’s neat lay-off.
Substitute Conor Gallagher went close to adding a third within four minutes of the restart but could only find the side-netting, while Aubameyang drew smart reflexes from Tatarusanu.
As Sergino Dest fired over at the other end and the Rossoneri fell to a fifth home defeat in six Champions League games against English opposition, the only dampener for Chelsea was an injury to England right-back Reece James.
Speaking after the match, Chelsea boss Graham Potter admitted that Chelsea got ‘a bit of luck’ with the Fikayo Tomori’s red card during the match.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter in the UEFA Champions League clash against AC Milan. | PHOTO: BT Sport |
“To come here and win is certainly not easy, that’s for sure,” Potter told BT Sport. “So credit to the players.
“They were really good. We get a bit of luck with the opponent going down to ten men, but overall the performance was good. It’s nice to keep a clean sheet again, and to come away with three points is fantastic for us.”
On the red card incident specifically, Potter insisted that it’s hard from where he was sitting at the touchline. The boss said the incident looks like Tomori had his hand on Mason and Mason Mount was through on goal. Potter said he needs to look again clearly.
“It’s nice for the penalty and nice for Jorginho to score. It was a nice move to lead to it. It is what it is. Sometimes they go for you.”
Potter’s side will jet back to London and get on preparations ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League as they seek to continue their winning streak.
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