AC Milan on Thursday avoided being eliminated in a preliminary round in Europe for the first time by equalizing with a penalty in the last seconds of extra time and then winning a 24-kick shoot-out 9-8.
The seven-time European champions trailed against Rio Ave going into added time in extra time, but Toni Borevkovic handled in the penalty area, earning his second yellow card and Hakan Calhanoglu converted from the spot to give Milan a 2-2 draw and set up an agonizing shoot-out.
“You can’t win without suffering,” Milan manager Stefano Pioli said.
Photo: AP
Belgian attacker Alexis Saelemaekers put Milan ahead with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area after 51 minutes.
Francisco Geraldes levelled after 71 minutes with a first-time shot.
In the first minute of extra time, Gelson put the home team ahead.
Milan had 24 strikes on goal, but only leveled when Berokovic jumped to head a harmless lob, missed the ball and was struck on the arm. Calhanoglu drilled the spot-kick in off the base of the post.
Milan went first in the shoot-out.
Both teams converted their first six attempts. In the next four rounds, Rio Ave spurned three chances to win; following a Milan miss with one of their own.
In that sequence, Nelson Monte hit both posts before his shot rolled away from goal, the two goalkeepers took consecutive kicks and both blasted over and Geraldes also hit a post.
The sequence was broken when defender Simon Kjaer converted for the second time in the shoot-out and then Gianluigi Donnarumma hurled himself high to his right to push away Nuno Santos’ penalty. The Milan players celebrated with extraordinary energy.
“It’s difficult to control emotions,” Pioli said. “We went from winning to losing in a moment and vice versa.”
Milan were without a host of experienced players including Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“We were strong, especially mentally, with a very young team,” Pioli said.
Elsewhere, former European champions Red Star Belgrade, Celtic and PSV Eindhoven all advanced with away victories.
Tottenham Hotspur romped to a 7-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa, while Granada, competing in Europe for the first time, won 3-1 in Malmo FF, but FC Basel let in three goals in the last 18 minutes and lost 3-1 at home to CSKA Sofia.
Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg also blew a lead and went down 2-1 to AEK in Athens.
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