Champions League | Milan 1-1 Feyenoord: Theo’s costly moment of madness | OneFootball

Milan crashed out of the Champions League play-offs 2-1 on aggregate, as after the perfect Santiago Gimenez start, Theo Hernandez was sent off for simulation in a 1-1 draw with Feyenoord.

The first leg ended 1-0 last week, sealed by Mike Maignan’s howler letting the Igor Paixao effort squirm through him. It was the first and until now only time the Fab Four had been used together, but Sergio Conceicao repeated the experiment and made the team even more attacking with Yunus Musah – who was suspended for the first leg – preferred to Youssouf Fofana. Emerson Royal, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Alessandro Florenzi were injured, with Alex Jimenez and Luka Jovic cup-tied. The visitors missed Quinten Timber, Ayase Ueda, Gernot Trauner, In-beom Hwang, Ramiz Zerrouki, Bart Nieuwkoop, Jordan Lotomba, Justin Bijlow and Chris-Kevin Nadje, so gave 18-year-old Zepiqueno Redmond his Champions League debut.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was the perfect start, as in the opening minute Malick Thiaw nodded a Christian Pulisic cross from the Theo Hernandez short corner back across the face of goal for Santiago Gimenez to head in from point-blank range. The Mexico international did not celebrate against his former club, holding up his hands.

Joao Felix sprung the offside trap on a smart Gimenez pass and controlled well only to fire inches over the bar, then the Portuguese talent stung the goalkeeper’s gloves only for Theo Hernandez to fire the rebound onto the upright.

Rafael Leao’s first touch let him down when sent clear and David Hancko charged down a Gimenez effort from close range.

There was a double opportunity at the dawn of the second half with first Hancko’s desperate block to stop Joao Felix tapping in the Theo Hernandez pull-back, then Kyle Walker’s angled drive testing the goalkeeper.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 18: Theo Hernandez of AC Milan leaves the pitch after receiving a red card for diving during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between AC Milan and Feyenoord at San Siro Stadium on February 18, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

However, the tie changed when Theo Hernandez ran onto a Leao pass and went down as Givairo Read dived in with an outstretched leg. There was no contact and the referee judged it to be sufficient for a second yellow card as simulation, having been booked just before the break for a pointless foul on Anis Hadj Moussa.

Feyenoord started pouring forward to take advantage, Antoni Milambo nodding over the bar, and Sergio Conceicao introduced Fofana, moving Joao Felix to a False 9.

The Dutch side restored their lead on aggregate when Hugo Bueno’s cross from the left found substitute Julian Carranza for a towering header between the Milan defenders from six yards.

Thiaw nodded a Joao Felix free kick straight at the goalkeeper and Kyle Walker played the last six minutes with an adductor issue as all the substitutions had been completed.

The Rossoneri kept pushing, but Thiaw had a double attempt charged down in stoppages from the Joao Felix free kick.

Milan 1-1 Feyenoord (1-2)

Gimenez 1 (M), Carranza 73 (F)

Sent off: Theo Hernandez 51 (M)