European roundup: Giroud fires Milan to stunning comeback win in derby

  • 2/5/2022
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Olivier Giroud scored twice in three minutes to earn Milan a stunning 2-1 comeback win over the Serie A leaders Inter on Saturday, putting the Rossoneri one point off top as the champions’ 14-match unbeaten league run came to an end. Ivan Perisic put Inter in front at a raucous San Siro late in the first half, breaking Milan’s resistance after their goalkeeper Mike Maignan pulled off two superb saves. But Giroud, starting in place of Milan’s injured top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, nudged in an equaliser in the 75th minute and then found the bottom corner three minutes later to turn the game on its head. “I was a bit frustrated in the first half, like the whole team, because we didn’t play well and we knew that,” Giroud said afterwards. “After the break we showed a great team spirit. We are back! The road is still long. We are in the race, but there are a lot of games left to play and Inter remain on top.“ It was only the second defeat of the season for Simone Inzaghi’s side, but they remain top on 53 points, one ahead of their city rivals with a game in hand. “It’s normal to be disappointed, we all know how important the derby is,” Inzaghi said. “We lost undeservedly but that is football. We need to analyse it calmly and see where we were lacking, because objectively speaking, we gave away practically nothing up to the first goal.“ Inter came into the game as favourites, their imperious league form contrasting with a Milan side who drew with Juventus and lost to Spezia in their last two games. The Nerazzurri, who were the “home” team for the day at San Siro, looked the likelier winners throughout the first half. Denzel Dumfries headed in early on, but the goal was disallowed for an offside in the buildup, before Maignan readjusted his footing to keep out a deflected Marcelo Brozovic shot. Nicolò Barella drilled a shot narrowly wide before Maignan again saved Milan with a superb stop from a close-range Dumfries effort. His Inter counterpart Samir Handanovic also sprang into action when he flew to palm away a Sandro Tonali shot. Milan’s defensive efforts were eventually undone in the simplest circumstances, when Perisic was left unmarked at a corner to volley in. A cagey second half offered few big chances until Giroud transformed the game. The Frenchman was quickest to react to a deflected Brahim Díaz shot, stretching at the back post to tap in a finish, and three minutes later he turned his marker in the box and guided in a calm finish. Theo Hernández was sent off deep in stoppage time for a reckless lunge on Dumfries, but Milan did not need to hang on for long to record their first Milan derby comeback win since February 2004. José Mourinho’s 100th match as a Serie A coach ended in controversy as his Roma side had a last-minute winner ruled out in a 0-0 draw at home to 10-man relegation battlers Genoa. Nicolò Zaniolo looked to have clinched a late victory by firing into the bottom corner in the 90th minute, but the referee Rosario Abisso disallowed it for a foul by Tammy Abraham in the buildup, after consulting the pitchside VAR monitor. Bayern Munich overcame a compelling test from RB Leipzig to win 3-2 at home on Saturday and stay well in control of the Bundesliga title race. The German champions twice surrendered the lead but regained it a third time, with Josko Gvardiol’s own goal in the second half proving decisive in the end. The victory took Bayern nine points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who play at home to third-placed Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. Thomas Müller tapped Bayern into the lead in the 12th minute from close range after the Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi could only parry a shot from Robert Lewandowski. The Portuguese forward André Silva bundled in an equaliser for the visitors in the 27th minute, chasing a loose ball after Konrad Laimer’s chip had bounced past the post and scrambling it over the line. Bayern quickly set about restoring their lead, with Kingsley Coman hitting the post and Müller then heading into the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul by Lewandowski on Gvardiol. Lewandowski soon made amends by putting Bayern back in front, heading home a cross from Coman to score his 24th Bundesliga goal of the season. The French winger Christopher Nkunku pulled Leipzig level early in the second half only for Bayern to take the lead for the third time when Gvardiol unwittingly turned in a cross from Serge Gnabry.

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