AC Milan 1-0 Girona: Leao lifts Conceicao´s side into top eight

Rafael Leao scored the only goal at San Siro, as AC Milan edged out Girona 1-0 to boost their hopes of automatic qualification for the Champions League round of 16.

The Portugal winger’s first-half strike helped the Rossoneri climb into the top eight following a fifth straight win, while confirming their opponents’ elimination from the competition.

Sergio Conceicao’s side established early control of proceedings, and twice struck the woodwork through Theo Hernandez and Yunus Musah.

However, the breakthrough arrived in the 37th minute with Leao latching onto Ismael Bennacer’s throughball, and firing into the roof of the net.

Girona thought they had equalised just before the hour mark, but Bryan Gil’s neat curling effort was ruled out for offside.

That was as close as the visitors came to levelling the contest after the break, with Milan comfortably seeing out the victory that lifted them to sixth place, two points clear of Aston Villa in ninth.

3 – Before Rafael Leão, the last #ACMilan player to score in three successive #UCL matches was Zlatan Ibrahimovic: five in a row, between 2011 and 2012. Thread.#MilanGirona

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 22, 2025

Data Debrief: Leao matches Zlatan

For the first time in 20 years, when they reached the final, Milan have recorded five successive victories in the Champions League.

Leao settled the contest with his third goal in as many appearances in the competition, making him the first Rossoneri player to net in three consecutive games in the competition since Zlatan Ibrahimovic between 2011 and 2012.

As for Girona, they are only the second side to lose each of their first four Champions League away games without scoring a single goal, after Rapid Wien between 1996 and 2005.

They are also only the second Spanish team to lose six games in a single Champions League campaign, after Villarreal lost all six of their matches in 2011-12.