MILAN (news agencies) — Seldom has a player’s sending off had such an influence on a game.
AC Milan was to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card — for diving — as Feyenoord advanced to the Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday.
“In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward Santiago Giménez, who scored one of the competition’s fastest goals against his former team in the first minute.
Hernandez was sent off for a dive in the 51st when Milan was dominating after Giménez’s opener had leveled the tie. Feyenoord had won the first leg of the playoff 1-0 last week.
But Milan’s defense looked anything but assured after referee Szymon Marciniak showed Hernandez another yellow card for his dive. The France defender had earned his first before the break for lashing out at a Feyenoord player after a foul on teammate João Félix.
Hugo Bueno crossed for Julián Carranza to head Feyenoord level on the night in the 73rd, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate.
“We’re very disappointed. We started well and scored straight away. It seemed like Feyenoord couldn’t hurt us,” Giménez said of the game’s pivotal moment. “Today it happened to Theo but it can happen to anyone, this is soccer. We have the utmost respect for Theo. We will give him all our support.”
Feyenoord’s Givairo Read was shown a red card following another melee after the final whistle.
Feyenoord will play either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the round of 16.
In other playoffs later Tuesday, Bayern Munich was hosting Celtic with a 2-1 lead, Benfica was leading 1-0 before hosing Monaco, and Atalanta was 2-1 to Club Brugge before the Belgian club’s visit.
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