Lille-Milan: 1-1 - Europa League 2020/2021. Final result and commentary from the game

FULL-TIME: LILLE 1-1 AC MILAN20:49

Ikone hits the free-kick straight into the wall.20:48

Andre is fouled by Krunic, just outside the Milan area and over to the right. Ikone will take the free-kick.20:47

Diaz is booked for a really clumsy sliding tackle from behind on Bamba. Could have been red.20:45

Five minutes of stoppage time.20:44

Dalot looks to cross from the right but Reinildo gets in the way, blocking it with his torso.20:42

Into the last couple of minutes now, and the game looks to be stumbling towards a draw.20:41

Milan look to be the side more interested in getting a winner here, which isn't to say Lille are parking the bus. The home side will stay top of the group with a draw, while Milan need to win to overtake them.20:38

Donnarumma slips as he clears a loose ball and he shanks it into midfield, but Castillejo reacts quickest and picks it up before a Lille player can.20:36

Milan have a decent chance to counter from a Lille corner, but Diaz's attempted through ball to Bennacer on the left is woefully misplaced.20:35

Thankfully for the home side, Maignan is fine to carry on.20:33

Pied's night is over. He went off the field a little while ago, and Djalo now comes on to replace him.20:33

Some concern for Lille here. Pied seems to have picked up an injury after he was challenged a little while ago, and now goalkeeper Maignan has gone down off the ball. The physios come back on.20:32

Krunic comes on to replace Hauge.20:30

Ikone is well tackled in the penalty area by Bennacer but the ball comes to Bamba at the edge of the area. He hits it first time but gets right underneath it and his shot flies miles over.20:29

Lille make their third change. Lihadji comes on for Araujo, who had some threatening moments in the first half but hasn't really been a factor since the break.20:28

The physios come on to take a look at Andre, who took a knock in the back of the head from Gabbia. 20:27

Castillejo looks to pick out Gabbia with his delivery from the corner, but he's held off well by his marker and can't get a touch on the ball.20:25

Dalot wins a corner on the right as his cross deflects behind off Bamba.20:25

Bennacer finds Castillejo with a nicely weighted ball down the right. He gets to the edge of the area and comes infield, but his attempted pass to Diaz goes astray.20:22

Castillejo goes down in a heap holding his face. Soumare, who lightly brushed his chin with an outstretched hand as the pair challenged for the ball, is booked.20:21

David gets the assist for a good piece of hold-up play.20:27

The two Milan substitutes almost make an impact straight away. Diaz finds Hauge in space in behind down the left and he looks for Colombo with a first-time pass into the area, but it's just cut out by Fonte.20:18

Yazici goes off too, replaced by Ikone.20:17

Lille are making some changes too. Soumare comes on to replace Xeca in midfield.20:17

And now Colombo replaces Rebic.20:15

Milan make a double change. Diaz replaces Calhanoglu.20:15

A nice Milan move breaks down with the final pass. Hauge finds Hernandez with a deft header out to the left and he knocks it on to Rebic, who drives infield. He seems undecided whether to shoot or pass and in the end his attempted pass in behind is cut out.20:15

Hauge pops up in space on the left and lifts a ball towards Calhanoglu at the edge of the area, but he has no hope of getting above Fonte, who rises to head clear.20:13

Lille just aren't clicking in attack. Xeca looks to find David in behind with a disguised reverse pass, but nobody reads his intention and the move breaks down.20:11

Hauge sets Calhanoglu in behind down the left. He breaks into the area and shoots left-footed from a tight angle, whipping his effort into the side-netting.20:09

Lille work the ball into the Milan area, but there are a lot of defenders back. Araujo's pass forces Bamba to go backwards, and the hosts eventually end up going back to the halfway line.20:08

Milan get bodies forward again but the move breaks down as a pass is played just behind Calhanoglu and Bamba tracks back well to pick up the loose ball.20:05

Bamba fouls Calhanoglu by the right touchline just as the Turkey international looked to pick out a raking crossfield ball to Rebic. If he had got the pass away, there was space in the Lille half again.20:04

The move for the goal started with Milan winning possession in their own half and Tonali immediately playing the ball into space. That sort of space just hadn't presented itself to either side in the first half.20:02

Rebic gets the assist.20:01

We're back underway.19:59

One thing which has been clear is that Milan have struggled to build attacks without an obvious focal point up front. Ibrahimovic really is their main man.19:45

It hasn't been a classic so far, but it has been a competitive affair between two well-matched teams. Hauge wasted the best chance of the half as he was set through on goal but had his pass intercepted by Fonte as he looked to set up a team-mate for a tap-in, while Araujo has brought a couple of decent saves from Donnarumma from range. There were no shots on target in the first 30 minutes but chances were starting to come by the end of the half, so hopefully the second period will be a bit more entertaining.19:44

HALF-TIME: LILLE 0-0 AC MILAN19:42

Bennacer is booked for a late challenge on Xeca, as Lille win a corner on the right.19:42

One minute of stoppage time.19:41

Half-time is going to come at exactly the wrong time, just as the game is opening up and the chances are starting to flow. Hopefully things continue in the same vein after the break.19:41

Rebic makes a good diagonal run towards the right and he looks to be in behind, but Dalot under-hits his attempted through ball and it's cut out by Botman.19:40

Good save Donnarumma! Araujo is finding his range now, and he latches onto another loose ball at the edge of the area. This time, he curls a left-footed effort towards the top-left corner, and the Milan keeper flies across to tip it around the post.19:39

Dalot crosses from the right and his team-mates appeal for handball as it's blocked just inside the area. It was at point-blank range, so it would have been a harsh penalty to give if it had struck the defender's hand.19:38

This game does seem to be opening up a little now, which is good news. Both sides clearly want to attack, so one goal might just open the floodgates.19:37

Yazici gets around Kjaer at the left side of the area, leaving the defender tumbling backwards as he bursts into the box. With Gabbia approaching he goes for goal, but it's a fairly simple save for Donnarumma to tip it away.19:36

Hernandez looks to fizz the ball down the left and Hauge dummies it in behind, so the defender is left to chase down his own pass. He puts on the afterburners but Fonte has a big head-start on him and wanders over to pick up the loose ball.19:35

A shot on target! Dalot's pass in the Milan half is cut out and it comes to Araujo on the right, just outside the area. His curling effort is too central to really trouble Donnarumma but it does loop up awkwardly, so the keeper tips it over his crossbar for a corner.19:34

Castillejo throws himself to the ground after a slight touch from behind by Reinildo - just as he had complained about Xeca doing five minutes ago. He wins a free-kick in midfield.19:32

Kjaer gets across to his right to shut down a run in behind from Bamba, but the offside flag is up anyway.19:31

Araujo siezes on a loose ball by the right corner flag and fires in a cross to David, but it comes to the forward at an awkward height and he can't control it. 19:30

Castillejo vents his frustration as Xeca goes down in his own area and wins a free-kick. He leaped up to contest a high ball and clattered to the ground after the slightest touch in the back from the Milan winger.19:28

David runs at the Milan defence with the ball for the first time, coming infield from the left. The back four retreat away from him, inviting a shot from range with deflects clear off the ankle of Dalot.19:27

Lille win a free-kick but Araujo is booked for an earlier foul.19:26

Plenty of huffing and puffing from both sides in the first half an hour, but they've only managed one shot each - and neither was on target. Niggly fouls are starting to disrupt the flow of things, too.19:25

Calhanoglu is starting to drop deeper for Milan, with that chance for Hauge a good example of why that might be their best bet. Most of the game has happened in the central third so far, with the visitors not really able to find their playmaker in attacking areas.19:23

A great chance goes begging for Milan. Calhanoglu sets Hauge free with a perfectly weighted ball in behind down the right channel. He gets into the area and cuts onto his left foot but, with two team-mates wide open for a tap-in, seems to stumble slightly and Fonte is able to get over and intercept his pass. It's good defending from the Portuguese veteran, but that should be 1-0.19:22

Milan have had most of the ball, but it has been a very even contest so far. Neither side has quite showed the guile to break down the other just yet, with most moves breaking down in midfield.19:19

Tonali almost wins possession for Milan just outside the Lille area, but Fonte races out to hammer the ball away. He absolutely spanks it straight into Bennacer's face. Ouch.19:17

Reinildo shepherds the ball out of play for a Lille touchline after Dalot looked to pick out Castillejo with a long ball. 19:16

Yazici has had Lille’s only sight of goal so far, and he is the man they will want the chances to fall to. He has two hat-tricks in the Europa League already this season. Diogo Jota got two last season for Wolves, while Radamel Falcao is the only man to have notched three in a single campaign, a decade ago during his time leading the line for Porto.19:15

Araujo holds off the challenge of three Milan players by the right touchline in his own half, before looking to open play up with a chipped pass forward to Yazici. Milan are wise to his tricks by now, and Bennacer is on hand to intercept.19:13

Tonali does well to keep hold of possession with Andre and Bamba pressing him in midfield, and he finds Castillejo out on the right. He can't find space to cross so passes backwards to Rebic, who gives the ball away with a loose touch.19:11

Despite being top of the group at kick-off, Lille haven’t won any of their last 14 matches at home in major European competition. Their last such victory came against Belgian side Gent in a Europa League match way back in December 2010.19:09

Pied is booked for pulling Calhanoglu's shirt.19:08

Yazici gets the first half-chance for Lille as Andre robs Tonali just outside the Milan area. It comes to Yazici at the right corner of the area and he bends a first-time left-footed effort past the far post, before Donnarumma admonishes his defence.19:08

Hernandez finds space on the left flank and picks out Rebic with a low cross from the byline, but the forward can't connect with his half-volley on the penalty spot and it bounces harmlessly through to Maignan.19:07

Castillejo's corner is in towards Kjaer but Maignan does well to come out and punch it clear with one fist. There's a foul in the penalty area anyway, and Lille get a free-kick.19:04

Milan get the first corner of the match on the right. Castillejo finds Rebic and his shot from the edge of the area is blocked behind by Botman.19:03

It has been a fairly nondescript start to the game, with no chances created in the opening minutes. The intent to get the ball forwards has been evident from both sides, though, which is promising.19:02

Tonali is told off by referee Craig Pawson for a high foot, but he gets away without a yellow card. The player he collided with, Araujo, had his boot up high as well, which may have saved him.19:01

Milan boss Pioli isn't on the touchline tonight after he recently tested positive for Covid-19. Former defender Daniele Bonera has taken his place.18:59

We're off!18:56

The teams are on their way out onto the pitch and we're nearly ready for kick-off. 18:51

Milan’s 3-0 defeat to Lille at the start of November was their worst ever home defeat in European competition. Lille have scored six goals in their two games since then and Milan have netted five, so we could be in for a high-scoring affair.18:45

Renato Sanches misses out for Lille after picking up a muscle injury on international duty but Reinildo, Fonte and Yilmaz all return after missing their most recent match through suspension. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ruled out with a thigh problem and Rafaeo Leao is also injured, so it looks to be Rebic leading the line for Milan.18:42

SUBS: Lorenzo Colombo, Daniel Maldini, Franck Kessie, Andrea Conti, Rade Krunic, Leo Duarte, Brahim Diaz, Ciprian Tatarusanu, Alessio Romagnoli, Pierre Kalulu Kyatengwa, Davide Calabria, Antonio Donnarumma.18:37

AC MILAN (4-2-3-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Theo Hernandez, Simon Kjaer, Matteo Gabbia, Diogo Dalot; Ismael Bennacer, Sandro Tonali; Jens Petter Hauge; Hakan Calhanoglu, Samu Castillejo; Ante Rebic.18:30

SUBS: Burak Yilmaz, Isaac Lihadji, Tiago Djalo, Timothy Weah, Jonathan Ikone, Boubakary Soumare, Domagoj Bradaric, Adama Soumaoro, Orestis Karnezis, Cheikh Niasse, Lucas Chevalier.18:28

LILLE (4-4-2): Mike Maignan; Reinildo, Sven Botman, Jose Fonte, Jeremy Pied; Jonathan Bamba, Benjamin Andre, Xeka, Luiz Araujo; Yusuf Yazici, Jonathan David.18:24

Yusuf Yazici scored a hat-trick as Lille ran out 3-0 winners in the reverse fixture at San Siro, leaving the Ligue 1 side one point clear at the top of the group. Lille have seven points to Milan’s six after three games, with Sparta Prague on three and Celtic on one.18:16

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this Europa League group stage fixture. Christophe Galtier’s Lille are looking to hold on to top spot in Group H, as they host Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.18:08

Dove si gioca la partita:

Stadio: Stade Pierre-Mauroy
Città: Lille
Capienza: 50186 spettatori18:08