Milan’s Giroud Sent off after Forgetting First Yellow in Win over Spezia

05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)
05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)
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Milan’s Giroud Sent off after Forgetting First Yellow in Win over Spezia

05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)
05 November 2022, Italy, Milan: AC Milan's Olivier Giroud (2nd L) scores his side's second goal during the Italian Serie A match between AC Milan and Spezia Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza. (dpa)

AC Milan forward Olivier Giroud said he had forgotten about his earlier yellow card when he took off his shirt to celebrate scoring a late goal in Saturday's hard-fought 2-1 victory over Spezia in Serie A and was dismissed.

Milan took advantage of Atalanta's stumble in their 2-1 home defeat by league leaders Napoli earlier on Saturday as the champions moved up to second place on 29 points after 13 games by beating relegation-threatened Spezia.

"The important thing is to have three more points in the table, but I'm very angry because I forgot about my first yellow card," Milan's France striker Giroud told Sky Sport.

"The adrenaline and happiness for giving the win to the team played a role, after a tough game. In my head I am still a kid, but I have great faith in my team."

Milan boss Stefano Pioli said he understood that Giroud lost control after scoring the goal which earned the win.

"The fact that we believe in (a victory) so much made us rejoice a lot and you lose control, it means he will sit out Tuesday's game," Pioli told MilanTV.

Milan, who trail leaders Napoli by six points, travel to second-bottom Cremonese on Tuesday.



Zverev Overcomes Moutet to Reach Stuttgart Quarters

12 June 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart: German tennis player Alexander Zverev in action against France's Corentin Moutet during their men's singles round of 16 tennis match of the Stuttgart Open tennis tournament. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
12 June 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart: German tennis player Alexander Zverev in action against France's Corentin Moutet during their men's singles round of 16 tennis match of the Stuttgart Open tennis tournament. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
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Zverev Overcomes Moutet to Reach Stuttgart Quarters

12 June 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart: German tennis player Alexander Zverev in action against France's Corentin Moutet during their men's singles round of 16 tennis match of the Stuttgart Open tennis tournament. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
12 June 2025, Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart: German tennis player Alexander Zverev in action against France's Corentin Moutet during their men's singles round of 16 tennis match of the Stuttgart Open tennis tournament. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa

German top seed Alexander Zverev beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-2 7-6(7) on Thursday to reach the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals, staying on course in his Wimbledon tune-up after a quarter-final run at Roland Garros.

Zverev has long struggled on grass. The 28-year-old has won 24 tour-level titles but none on grass and has never gone past the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Zverev, a three-times Grand Slam finalist, raced through the first set, but Moutet responded well in the second, taking an early 2-1 lead, Reuters reported.

The set tightened as both players traded breaks to reach 4-4, before Zverev held his nerve in the tiebreak to close out the match.

"I prefer to win 6-2 6-2, but you can never choose these kind of things but in the end I won and that's the most important thing," said Zverev, who last played at Stuttgart in 2019.

"I think the first match on grass was never easy. I honestly think it was a very average match. I made it complicated, but a win is a win and I'm happy to play tomorrow again."

Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime earned his first win on grass since Halle in 2022, defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals in Stuttgart. The 24-year-old Canadian will next face German teenager Justin Engel.

Wildcard Engel, who won his first tour-level grasscourt match in the previous round, stunned American seventh seed Alex Michelsen 6-4 6-4, breaking for 2-1 in both sets and holding serve throughout without facing a single break point.

The 17-year-old Engel becomes the youngest Stuttgart quarter-finalist and also the youngest player to reach the quarter-finals of an ATP grasscourt event since 1985, when Boris Becker made it to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.