AC Milan secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Girona in their fifth consecutive Champions League win, with Rafael Leao producing a moment of brilliance and a close offside call against Bryan Gil.
After a shaky start to the competition with two losses, Milan had now strung together four wins in a row, and this was their first under new coach Sergio Conceicao, who replaced Paulo Fonseca after his dismissal on December 30.
Christian Pulisic began the game on the bench due to injury, with Samuel Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Malick Thiaw, and Fikayo Tomori also unavailable. Strahinja Pavlovic was given a rare start in defense.
The match began with an unexpected setback for Milan as Emerson Royal was forced off just four minutes into the game, struggling with a right-foot injury, and was replaced by Davide Calabria.
Tijjani Reijnders came close with a well-struck free kick that forced a tricky save, but the match also saw Milan squander a prime chance when Yunus Musah, clear on goal, opted to pass instead of shooting, and his pass was intercepted.
They had another golden opportunity in the 24th minute when Leao’s pace set up Theo Hernandez, but the latter’s finish was poorly executed, sending the ball bouncing off the crossbar.
Milan’s frustration continued five minutes later as Musah rattled the far post with a powerful drive from the edge of the area.
Girona had their own close call when Donny van de Beek’s dribble forced a brilliant save from Milan’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Maignan was also quick to deny Viktor Tsygankov’s shot soon after.
Despite the missed chances, Milan’s sustained pressure eventually paid off.
Following a cleared corner, Ismael Bennacer regained possession and threaded a pass to Leao, who cleverly turned David Lopez before firing into the roof of the net from close range.
Maignan remained key in Milan’s defense, denying Yangel Herrera just before the break, using his outstretched boot to block a dangerous shot from inside the box.
Just before halftime, Girona thought they had equalized when Bryan Gil curled a stunning shot into the top corner, but it was ruled out for the tightest of offside calls, with his toes just ahead of the last defender.
Milan survived a tense final stretch, with Leao’s long-range shot going wide, and they managed to hold onto their narrow lead to secure all three points.
