HERNANDEZ SEES RED IN HEAT OF BATTLE BUT FEYENOORD’S KIDS STAY COOL FOR FAMOUS WIN

Feyenoord defied the odds to hold Milan to a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off and advance 2-1 on aggregate, aided by a brainless red card for Theo Hernandez.

Santiago Gimenez hit five for Feyenoord in the league phase but now in Rossoneri, the Mexican pulled the hosts level in the tie within 40 seconds from an expertly crafted set-piece play involving Christian Pulisic and Malick Thiaw as Milan dominated the first half in stark contrast to the first leg.

However, despite Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Joao Felix carving injury-depleted Feyenoord open at will at times in the first-half, Milan couldn’t find that all-important second goal to take control of the tie as the visitors grimly hung on through a determined rearguard action led by captain David Hancko.

And having been booked just before half-time for lashing out at an opponent, Hernandez gave the Club on the Meuse an avenue back into the contest when he hurled himself to the San Siro turf after a textbook Givairo Read tackle didn’t touch the Frenchman.

With their eleven starters boasting an average age of just 23, Feyenoord didn’t need a second invitation and quickly took control of the game culminating in a headed goal from substitute (and Gimenez’s former understudy at De Kuip) Julian Carranza from an inch-perfect cross, meaning they will face Arsenal or Inter Milan for a place in the quarter-finals.