Goals: Spezia – AC Milan – Played on 05/13/2023
AC Milan Suffers Defeat Against Spezia, Champions League Qualification in Doubt
In a disappointing turn of events, AC Milan suffered a 2-0 defeat against Spezia at the Stadio Picco. The loss puts the team’s Champions League qualification in greater doubt and adds pressure ahead of the second leg of the derby. Despite dominating early proceedings, the Rossoneri struggled to overcome the Spezia defense and only showed brief flashes of their quality.
Numerous Absences Affect Team Performance
The team’s performance was inevitably impacted by the numerous absences, including Krunić and Messias, who were added to the list at the last minute. This was the eighth league defeat for AC Milan this season, breaking a run of seven games without a loss in Serie A. The team now needs to focus on recovering form and fitness and prepare for the second leg of the semi-final on Tuesday.
Match Report: AC Milan Dominates Early Proceedings
AC Milan dominated early proceedings, with Tonali and Díaz both hitting the post and coming close to opening the scoring. However, Spezia responded and pushed further forward, with Amian, Nzola, and Ekdal posing a threat to the Rossoneri’s defense. Drągowski made an excellent fingertip save from Theo’s stinging drive on 24 minutes, but eventually, the home side took the lead after 75 minutes through Wiśniewski. Esposito then sealed the victory for Spezia with a perfectly placed free-kick into the top right-hand corner of the goal.