Feyenoord overcame the departure of their coach, Brian Priske, and the loss of their top scorer, Santiago Gimenez to take a precious 1-0 lead into the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie against AC Milan.

Brazilian winger Igor Paixão scored the winning goal after just three minutes when opposition goalkeeper Mike Maignan was caught cold by his low shot from range.

Gimenez started for Milan just 14 days after pulling on a Feyenoord shirt for the last time before his €35 million transfer to the Italian giants, but he and the rest of the Milan forward line struggled to make an impact in the teeming Rotterdam rain.

Feyenoord’s interim coach Pascal Bosschart gave a Champions League debut to 18-year-old Givairo Read, who became the third youngest player to feature in the competition for a Dutch club, while Ayase Ueda lined up opposite Gimenez.

Netherlands international Tijjani Reijnders had an early chance for Milan, but it was Feyenoord who drew first blood when Paixão cut in from the left and hit an early low shot that Maignan seemed to see late. The goalkeeper dived low to his right but could not prevent the ball nestling in the bottom corner.

Milan’s attacking pair of João Felix and Rafael Leão threatened sporadically, with the former outfoxing Thomas Beelen before hitting a close-range shot that the defender just managed to block.

Gimenez frustrated

Paixão almost extended the lead in the 37th minute when he let fly from outside the area with a shot that grazed the top of the crossbar.

Beelen had a chance from a corner early in the second half but his downward header was comfortably saved by Maignan.

Paixão then did brilliantly to hold the ball in midfield before releasing Julian Carranza, but the substitute was unable to strike the ball cleanly.

Gimenez’s best chance came just after an hour when his header from the edge of the area was blocked. The Mexican was taken off five minutes from the end of what proved to be a frustrating return to De Kuip.

Paixão did his best to crown a virtuoso performance with a goal from inside his own half after 72 minutes after spotting Maignan off his line, but his shot drifted harmlessly wide to the left.

The only sour note for Bosschart was the departure of captain Quinten Timber, who limped off after 76 minutes a few minutes after the appearing to stub his foot in the grass.

The second leg will be played in the San Siro stadium in Milan next Tuesday.