Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 AC Milan: Boniface condemns Rossoneri to second UCL defeat

AC Milan fell to their second defeat in two Champions League games as they were beaten 1-0 by Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena on Tuesday night.

Victor Boniface was the man who got the winner early in the second half as he hammered in a rebound after having previously had a goal disallowed for offside, but Milan deserved something from the game after a positive second-half performance.

The Rossoneri also had two big shouts for a penalty turned down; the first went Tammy Abraham went over inside the box and the second right at the end when Ruben Loftus-Cheek appeared to be stamped on.

Nonetheless neither were given, and the result means that Milan have lost their opening two games in Europe, putting them in the bottom quarter of the table in the new ‘big league’ phase.

Despite the speculation about Strahinja Pavlovic and Davide Calabria coming into the line-up, the only change that Paulo Fonseca made to the starting line-up was bringing Ruben Loftus-Cheek in for Alvaro Morata, who is nursing bursitis but makes the bench.

It was a lively start to the game at the BayArena as the home side twice drew a save from Mike Maignan. The first effort was fired by Boniface inside the box and the goalkeeper managed to just about parry it away, then Hincapie’s header from a cross forced another parry.

The first booking of the game went to the home side a few minutes in as Garcia was guilty of making a rather rough intervention to block off Christian Pulisic after he had knocked the ball around him and looked to be away down the right.

Pressure continued to come from Die Werkself and Amine Adli became the latest to draw a stop from Maignan with a spinning effort from inside the box, though the flag had rightly gone up because he was offside.

As Hincapie again saw a soft effort flash across the box and wide of the far post, it was obvious that Milan needed to get a handle on the game as they were struggling to get out of their own half due to Leverkusen’s high press.

In the 21st minute, it looked like Leverkusen had taken the lead that their early pressure fully deserved. Frimpong was given the freedom of the right side to whip in a brilliant cross that Boniface guided in, but the Dutchman had just gone too early with his run.

Less than two minutes later it seemed that Boniface wanted instant revenge for having his goal chalked off as he let fly from 20 yards when he should maybe have spread the ball to the left – Maignan saved comfortably.

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The shots continued to pepper Maignan’s goal with Grimaldo whipping a low cross-shot that he palmed into the path of Frimpong who blazed the rebound over the bar.

Eight minutes before the break Fonseca thought he might be forced into a change as Tammy Abraham went for a loose ball and despite not coming into contact with an opponent he injured his shoulder. Morata looked ready to come on, but the Englishman continued and Christian Pulisic then tested Hradecky for the first time with a shot from the edge of the box that was tame in truth.

Milan had a very strong shout for a spot kick when Abraham was bundled over inside the box by Tapsoba but the on-field decision of no penalty from the Swiss referee Schärer was upheld, despite replays showing the Leverkusen defender did not get the ball and made some contact with the opponent.

Leverkusen started the second half on top just as they had the first, and this time Boniface scored a goal that counted. Maignan did well to stop an initial shot from Grimaldo but the rebound fell to the Nigerian striker who had the simple task of smashing home from a few yards out, making it 1-0 to the home side.

Milan went in search of an equaliser and they really should have got one quickly when Pulisic slipped Reijnders in behind but he checked back inside for a shot that was blocked, then Emerson Royal’s rebound attempt was blocked, and so was Leao’s.

Just after the hour-mark and not long after the home side had lashed a volley over the bar, Fonseca made his first change as Alvaro Morata came on to replace Abraham.

The Rossoneri began to get on top in the game as Leverkusen sat off and ceded more possession, and Fofana showed off his silky footwork to create shooting space and draw a save from Hradecky.

Hradecky was almost left red-faced in the 73rd minute as he hung on to the ball a bit too long when trying to build out of the ball and Morata’s challenge almost put the ball in but it somehow ricocheted over. That came seconds after he caught a Morata header from a Fofana cross that was dipping under the bar.

Leverkusen as expected began to show threat on the break and Frimpong should have opened up a 2-0 lead when he was found in space on the far side, yet he slipped as he hit it and skewed the ball into the side netting.

With just over 10 minutes to go, Samuel Chukwueze came on for Pulisic and immediately after Milan came inches away from an equaliser. Theo had a powerful drive deflected onto the crossbar and Morata had to generate power to send it back the other way but looped his header just wide of the post.

There was yet another shout for a penalty when Loftus-Cheek went down on the edge of the box having had his Achilles scraped and yet again there was no review despite the replays. It would be the last action of the game as the home fans were able to celebrate three points.