Champions League | Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Milan: Musah red ruins top finish | OneFootball

Milan fumbled the opportunity of a top eight Champions League finish after crumbling away to Dinamo Zagreb, with Yunus Musah sent off in the first half.

The Rossoneri were sure of at least a play-off spot, but wanted a sixth straight win in the competition to secure the top eight finish. With Davide Calabria suspended, Emerson Royal, Malick Thiaw, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Alessandro Florenzi injured, plus new signing Kyle Walker cup-tied, Fikayo Tomori had to become a makeshift right-back. This was only Fabio Cannavaro’s third game in charge of Dinamo Zagreb, missing Bruno Petkovic and Petar Sucic, plus suspended Lukas Kacavenda.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a sluggish start from Milan and they gifted the opening goal to the hosts with an absolute howler, as Matteo Gabbia literally slipped over on the back-pass, allowing Martin Baturina to nutmeg Mike Maignan who was well off his line.

Youssouf Fofana ballooned over from distance, but it went from bad to worse for Milan when Yunus Musah received his second yellow card for wrestling Stojkovic to the ground just outside the penalty area, reducing them to 10 men.

Yunus Musah of AC Milan fouls Luka Stojkovic of GNK Dinamo, which results in a second yellow card and red card for Yunus Musah, during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between GNK Dinamo and AC Milan at Stadion Maksimir on January 29, 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia. (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)

Kulenovic threatened a second for Dinamo Zagreb in first half stoppages, turning just wide.

Straight after the restart, Luka Stojkovic had tapped in when sent clear by Baturina, but the goal was disallowed for the initial Baturina handball.

Milan survived that scare and equalised, as Tomori found Christian Pulisic for a ferocious right-foot finish from 12 yards to bend back the goalkeeper’s hand at the near bottom corner.

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Another Dinamo Zagreb goal was disallowed, for the Pierre-Gabriel offside position ahead of the Kulenovic tap-in.

However, the hosts did score moments later, when Marko Pjaca controlled a Pierre-Gabriel cross from the left and his angled drive flashed into the far bottom corner.

Rafael Leao ran onto the Pulisic through ball and was brought down by goalkeeper Nevistic for a penalty, but that was revoked following a VAR review because Leao had first struck his marker in the face with a raised arm.

Pulisic’s header was saved and a Filippo Terracciano cross-shot flapped away, but they rarely looked like getting back into a game they started badly.

Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Milan

Baturina 19 (D), Pulisic 53 (M), Pjaca 60 (D)

Sent off: Musah 39 (M)