November 25, (THEWILL) – Atletico Madrid were defeated three minutes from time by Junior Messias’ header, keeping AC Milan’s hopes of qualifying from Champions League Group B alive.
Milan dominated the game throughout and came close to taking the lead through another replacement, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Jan Oblak made a point-blank save.
Then, from the left flank, Franck Kessie clipped a cross that Brazilian Messias planted home, leaving Oblak with no chance.
Atletico still had time to equalise, putting qualification in their own hands for the last game, but Matheus Cunha inexplicably failed to make a strong contact from Marcos Llorente’s cross, setting him up four yards from goal.
Porto is still in second place in the group with five points, while Milan and Atletico both have four. For the sixth group game, Atletico will go to Portugal, while Milan will host Liverpool.
It is a setback that puts Atletico’s chances of making the last 16 in jeopardy moving into the last round of fixtures. Despite losing 2-0 to Liverpool, Porto is still in contention ahead of their match against Atletico Madrid in the last round.
In the round of 16, all three clubs still have a chance to join Liverpool. In Group B, therefore, the last week should be exciting.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
