All eyes were on Milan striker Santiago Giménez, Feyenoord’s top scorer in the league phase of this competition, who jumped ship to the San Siro in January.
2024/2025 UEFA Champions League
1-0
Match Report
Pascal Bosschaart made a winning start to life as interim coach, with the Dutch side now taking a slender advantage into the second leg at San Siro next week.
Igor Paixao scored the game's only goal after just three minutes when his speculative effort from a tight angle on the left flank skidded with pace off the wet surface and slipped through the gloves of Mike Maignan.
It was a shot that should have been a routine save for the France international, but the error gave Feyenoord a dream start and set the tone for a virtuoso performance from Paixao.
The Brazilian winger was at the heart of Feyenoord's attacking enterprise and also struck the bar shortly before the break with a dipping shot from a similar position to his first, but with Maignan beaten, it bounced off the goalframe.
Julian Carranza also struck just wide of the far post in the second half as the hosts showed no ill effects from the shock decision to fire coach Brian Priske on Monday.
Tijjani Reijnders came closest for Milan, lifting a shot just over the crossbar, but the visitors looked off-kilter, with Timon Wellenreuther comfortably holding onto his clean sheet.
This is what we stand for! #feyacm • #UCL pic.twitter.com/DKbMeADg0u
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) February 12, 2025
Data Debrief: Quick out of the blocks
Bosschaart would have wanted Feyenoord to make a bright start, but even he might not have imagined his first game going the way that it did.
Paixao's third-minute goal is the fastest Feyenoord have scored in a Champions League/European Cup since September 1971 (Willem van Hanegem, also three minutes in).
The Dutch side have also extended an impressive record. When leading at half-time, they have not lost any of their last 25 matches in the competition (W22 D3); only Lyon (48 games) have gone in leading more often at the break without ever losing such a match.
For Milan, it is a similar story - they have failed to win any of their last 12 away games in the Champions League knockout rounds (D4 L7), scoring three goals in total across the last 11 matches in that run.
Match Events
3' GOAL! Feyenoord 1-0 Milan (Igor Paixão)
Line-ups
Feyenoord XI: Timon Wellenreuther, Dávid Hancko, Jakub Moder, Gijs Smal, Ayase Ueda, Quinten Timber, Igor Paixão, Antoni Milambo, Anis Hadj Moussa, Thomas Beelen, Givairo Read
Subs: Luka Ivanusec, Julián Carranza, Hugo Bueno, Plamen Andreev, Shiloh 't Zand, Jeyland Mitchell, Ibrahim Osman, Zepiqueno Redmond, Djomar Giersthove, Ismail Ka, Tobias van den Elshout
Milan XI: Walker, Maignan, Theo, Pulisic, Felix, Santiago Gimenez, Reijnders, Leao, Youssouf Fofana, Malick Thiaw, S. Pavlovic
Subs: Sportiello, Tomori, Abraham, Chukwueze, Gabbia, Terracciano, Davide Bartesaghi, Torriani, Francesco Camarda