AC Milan suffered a heartbreaking exit from the Champions League after a 1-1 draw with Feyenoord in the second leg of their play-off tie at the San Siro.
Despite taking an early lead through Santiago Gimenez, Milan were unable to hold on and were eliminated from the competition after Feyenoord’s Julian Carranza scored the decisive goal in the second half.
Milan got off to the perfect start when Gimenez, who joined the club from Feyenoord in January, scored against his former club after just 36 seconds. The Mexican striker’s goal, the fastest in this season’s Champions League, canceled out Feyenoord’s 1-0 lead from the first leg.
However, Milan’s hopes of progressing were dealt a blow when Theo Hernandez was sent off for a second yellow card early in the second half. Feyenoord capitalized on their numerical advantage, with substitute Carranza heading home the winning goal in the 73rd minute.
This defeat marks another setback for Milan, who have struggled to replicate their past successes in the Champions League. They have now failed to reach the last 16 of the competition in seven of the last eight seasons.
Manager Sergio Conceicao took responsibility for the defeat and acknowledged the team’s mental fragility.
“It’s a big defeat for me and I made many mistakes,” Conceicao said. “I am responsible for this defeat. We should have been better on a mental level.”
Feyenoord, under interim manager Pascal Bosschaart, will be delighted with their victory. They will now face either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Milan will now turn their attention back to Serie A, where they are currently in seventh place. They will be hoping to secure a top-six finish and qualify for European competition next season.
Feyenoord, meanwhile, will be looking to continue their impressive run in the Champions League when they face either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the next round.
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