Memorable moments: following the example of Zlatan! Mexes’ wonderful scissor kick sent AC Milan into the Champions League eighth round

It’s one of those memorable moments that will probably always stick in the memory of a European football fan. In the 2012/13 season, defender Philippe Mexès scored the winning goal to secure AC Milan’s Champions League semi-final berth against Anderlecht in the penultimate match of the group stage. It was no ordinary goal, however, as Mexès sent the ball into the net with a beautiful scissor kick.

At the end of the 2011/12 season, AC Milan qualified for the 2012/13 Champions League group stages thanks to their final second place finish in Serie A.

Los Rossoneri were then sent to Group C, where the then team led by Massimiliano Allegri met Málaga, Zenit St. Petersburg and Anderlecht.

It should be noted, it was the beginning of a failed period for AC back then. Although they had just finished third in the domestic competition at the end of the 2012/13 season, in the next two seasons they not only failed to qualify for the European Cup, but fell into the Italian league average.

Therefore, even being in the 2012/13 Champions League group stage was a kind of harbinger of bad times to come. In the opening round, the Rossoneri surprisingly only drew 0-0 with Anderlecht at the San Siro, but then managed to win 3-2 in St. Petersburg.

In the third round of the group stage Málaga beat AC 1: 0, but in the “rematch” at San Siro they only drew 1: 1. The situation in the group did not go quite as expected for the men in red and black, but they still had the fight for promotion in their hands.

Key match against Anderlecht

The Group C table after four games was clearly dominated by Málaga, who had ten points after three wins and one draw. AC were second with five points, Anderlecht third with four points and Zenit last with three points.

The Rossoneri therefore visited Anderlecht in the 5th round of the group stage. And this was the match that finally sent them to the eighth round.

Stephan El Shaarawy opened the scoring in the 47th minute. The second and ultimately decisive goal of the match was scored by Philippe Mexès in the 71st minute. And it was a truly magnificent goal.

Seven minutes later, De Sutter reduced the deficit to 3-1, with Alexandre Pato scoring the insurance goal in stoppage time. The Rossoneri thus got their eighth point, while Zenit drew 2-2 at home with Málaga and only equalled Anderlecht on points.

AC were thus assured of progressing to the eighth round, even if they had lost in the last round of the group stage. And that’s what happened, Milan lost 0:1 to Zenit at the San Siro.

The clear winner of the group was Málaga with 12 points. AC advanced from second place (8 points) and Zenit (7 points) were relegated to the Europa League. Interestingly, the Rossoneri took only two points from their home ground out of eight.

In any case, the Milan giant failed to reach the quarter-finals. In the double-header with Barcelona, they won 2:0, but in the subsequent rematch AC scored four times (0:4).

It was AC’s last Champions League appearance for many years. They will not return to the most prestigious club competition in the world until the 2021/22 season.

Source: Serie A, UEFA, Twitter / X – ESPN