Slovan Bratislava 2-3 Milan: Rossoneri earn third straight Champions League win

AC Milan earned their third successive Champions League win with a 3-2 victory at Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday, hanging on despite coming under fierce pressure late on.

The first half ended level with Milan’s Christian Pulisic opening the scoring in the 21st minute before a quick counterattack led to Slovan’s Tigran Barseghyan equalising three minutes later.

Milan struggled to put Slovan away before substitute Rafael Leao put them back in front in the 68th minute, staying onside from Youssouf Fofana’s pass to tuck home.

Tammy Abraham then extended their lead by capitalising on a horror back-pass from David Strelec just three minutes later.

Slovan pulled a goal back through Nino Marcelli in the 88th minute and also had Marko Tolic sent off late on, as he picked up two yellow cards for dissent in a matter of moments.

However, Milan came through the late drama to move onto nine points while Slovan, with no points, remain rooted at the bottom of the standings.

2 – Slovan Bratislava’s Marko Tolic is the first player sent off in the UEFA Champions League for two yellows for dissent since Arturo Vidal in November 2020 for Inter Milan vs. Real Madrid. Backchat. pic.twitter.com/WPyBPII6ym

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 26, 2024

Data Debrief: Pulisic flying the flag

Pulisic’s opener made him just the second American player to score three goals in a single Champions League campaign, after DeMarcus Beasley for PSV in 2004-05.

Milan, meanwhile, have won three straight group-stage matches in the Champions League for the first time since 2004-05 under Carlo Ancelotti, when they reached the final but were memorably beaten by Liverpool after surrendering a 3-0 lead.