Slavia Prague’s winless record in Italy stretched to nine matches (one draw, eight losses) as they were controversially reduced to 10 men before bravely falling to a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League last-16 tie.UEL: A great warm-up for the City clash – Liverpool merciless in CzechiaThe visitors started positively, with El Hadji Malick Diouf volleying wastefully wide from Oscar Dorley’s flighted ball and David Douděra missing the target having been fed by Lukáš Provod. Douděra was then berating himself again after snatching at another Dorley cross, before Diouf was dismissed on 26 minutes for catching Christian Pulisic’s right ankle with his studs up. It didn’t take long for Milan to capitalise, as Rafael Leão’s attempted shot took a telling deflection off Tomáš Vlček to land perfectly on the head of Olivier Giroud, who nodded in from virtually on the goalline. However, Slavia immediately hit back when Douděra stunningly volleyed past Mike Maignan, who was unable to keep the effort out despite getting a glove to it.
That equaliser shocked San Siro as Slavia goalkeeper Jindřich Staněk denied Matteo Gabbia with a superb reflex stop. Tijjani Reijnders soon put his side back in front though, receiving Alessandro Florenzi’s pass unmarked on the edge of the area and giving Staněk the eyes to drive in superbly at the near post. And on the stroke of halftime, it was 3-1 as Florenzi’s sumptuous corner was finished from close range by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
COLPO DI TESTA DI RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK!RLC 😤CHE ASSIST DI ALESSANDRO FLORENZI!!!📽️ @FootColicpic.twitter.com/Vi9ft263vP https://t.co/cwk7oySbwK— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 7, 2024 Not long after the break, a vital intervention from Lukáš Masopust prevented Reijnders from doubling his tally for the evening. The pattern looked set for the evening, with Milan controlling proceedings. However, out of the blue, Slavia halved the deficit on 65 minutes when substitute Ivan Schranz controlled well from Provod’s curling free-kick and slammed the ball past Maignan with aplomb.
Luka Jović and Noah Okafor were subsequently thrown on to make things more comfortable for Milan, but Leão was the architect of the fourth, tying Vlček up in knots before his dink over Staněk was stabbed in by Pulisic. After a nervy encounter though, the Italian giants must look to strengthen a defence that has now conceded 10 times in five games ahead of the trip to Czechia for next Thursday’s return leg.What a goaaaaal, RAFAEL LEAO pic.twitter.com/kOVJuJu0pu— Best of Rafael Leão (@BestofLeao) March 7, 2024 Elsewhere, history repeated itself for Rangers, as Connor Goldson scored an own goal in an away draw with Benfica. The defender put through his own net midway through the second half to ensure their Europa League round-of-16 tie will be all square heading to Ibrox next week after a 2-2 stalemate.Jack Butland was on hand to make a strong save to prevent the hosts from taking an early lead, beating away a fierce strike from David Neres. That stop proved crucial moments later when the visitors took the lead through a wonderfully controlled Tom Lawrence header, as he met Mohamed Diomande‘s cross near the penalty spot and nodded into the bottom corner.That led to a chorus of boos from the home fans, still fuming after their side were on the wrong end of a 5-0 mauling at the hands of Porto at the weekend. Tensions further rose as Butland denied Neres on two more occasions, but he was powerless to stop the Eagles equalising as the break approached when he was sent the wrong way by Ángel Di María’s spot-kick after VAR had intervened to perhaps harshly award a penalty against John Souttar for heading the ball onto his arm.There was more drama to come before the break though, as Dujon Sterling restored the lead in the fifth minute off first-half stoppage time, perfectly timing his burst into the box to tap home Fábio Silva’s cross. That was his first senior goal, and a second nearly followed after halftime with an effort that was saved, while Silva also broke into the box before Anatoliy Trubin palmed his shot to safety.Chances were in limited supply for Rangers in the second half though, as Benfica piled on the pressure in desperate search of an equaliser. Roger Schmidt’s side eventually made it 2-2 through an own goal, when Goldson – who also put through his own net when the two teams met at the Estádio da Luz in 2020 – inadvertently headed Di María’s free-kick into his own net, before the Argentine should have got himself on the scoresheet, but dragged wide from close range.Neither team was interested in settling for the draw, with Rafa Silva having the best of the chances for the hosts, only to skew way over the bar. It means it’s all to play for in the return game next week, as Rangers look to repeat their heroics of reaching the final two years ago.UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE1/8 finals – first legWednesdaySporting – Atalanta 1-1 (1-1)/Paulinho 17 – Scamacca 39/ThursdayRoma – Brighton 4-0 (2-0)/Dybala 13, Lukaku 43, Mancini 64, Cristante 69/Qarabag – Leverkusen 2-2 (2-0)/Benzia 26, Juninho 45+2 – Wirtz 70, Schick 90+2/Sparta Praha – Liverpool 1-5 (0-3)/Bradley 46 og – Mac Allister 7 pen, Nunez 25, 45+3, Diaz 53, Szoboszlai 90+4/Olympique Marseille – Villareal 4-0 (3-0)/Veretout 23, Mosquera 28 og, Aubameyang 42, 59/Freiburg – West Ham 1-0 (0-0)/Gregoritsch 81/AC Milan – Slavia Praha 4-2 (1-1)/Giroud 34, Reijnders 44, Loftus-Cheek 45+1, Pulisic 85 – Doudera 36, Schranz 65/Benfica – Rangers 2-2 (1-2)/Di Maria 45+1, Goldson 67 og – Lawrence 7, Sterling 45+5/