Milan Completes Stunning Comeback to Win Supercoppa Italiana

Milan staged an incredible comeback from 2-0 down to defeat Inter 3-2 and win the Supercoppa Italiana, with Rafael Leao playing a starring role.

Sergio Conceicao's Milan achieved an incredible comeback, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in stoppage time, with Rafael Leao playing a pivotal role in all three goals. This remarkable victory brought an end to Inter's dominance in the Supercoppa Italiana.

The Derby della Madonnina at the Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh was a highly anticipated match, following the semifinals where Inter defeated Atalanta 2-0, and Milan fought back to beat Juventus 2-1 in new coach Sergio Conceicao's debut.

Injury concerns affected both teams, with Inter's Marcus Thuram and Joaquin Correa not fully fit, while Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard were ruled out. As a result, Mehdi Taremi started for Inter. Meanwhile, Milan's Rafael Leao began on the bench due to fitness issues, with Noah Okafor, Samuel Chukwueze, and Alessandro Florenzi all injured. Yunus Musah replaced Ismael Bennacer in the starting lineup.

Malick Thiaw and Mike Maignan formed a formidable defensive duo, combining to thwart Lautaro Martinez's scoring attempt from six yards out. Martinez had expertly controlled a long pass from Alessandro Bastoni at full stretch, but the Milan pair's swift intervention denied him the opportunity to score. Meanwhile, Mehdi Taremi's header from a Nicolò Barella cross sailed wide of the target.

Tijjani Reijnders embarked on a promising run, bursting through the center of the pitch, but unfortunately, he scuffed his finish off target. However, Mike Maignan was called upon to make a spectacular save, flying to palm a ferocious Federico Dimarco strike over the bar after a swift Taremi counter-attack.

Inter's injury woes deepened as Hakan Calhanoglu was forced to exit the game on 35 minutes due to an adductor issue. Kristjan Asllani replaced the Turkish midfielder, adding to Inter's growing list of injured players.

Alessandro Bastoni made a timely intervention, intercepting the ball to prevent Alex Jimenez from rolling it across for an Alvaro Morata tap-in. This crucial interception denied Milan a scoring opportunity and kept the game scoreless.

However, Inter seized the initiative just before half-time, catching Emerson Royal off guard with a quick throw-in from Federico Dimarco. The throw-in found Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who quickly moved the ball to Mehdi Taremi. Taremi then shifted the ball to Lautaro Martinez, who cleverly cut inside Malick Thiaw and drilled a shot through Theo Hernandez's legs into the near bottom corner.

The goal marked a significant milestone for Martinez, as it was his fourth Supercoppa Italiana goal, equalling the record set by Paulo Dybala. Martinez's strike gave Inter a crucial lead heading into the second half.

Inter wasted no time in doubling their lead after the restart, scoring within 60 seconds. Mehdi Taremi showcased his exceptional skill, expertly controlling a long ball over the top with his first touch. This set him up perfectly to sweep the ball into the near bottom corner with the inside of his right boot, leaving the Milan defense scrambling.

Milan's fortunes changed with the introduction of Rafael Leao, who made an instant impact on the game. Leao was brought down by Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the edge of the area, earning Milan a free kick. Theo Hernandez stepped up to take the set piece, curling the ball around the wall to catch Yann Sommer off guard at the near post. The goal gave Milan a glimmer of hope, and they began to push for an equalizer.

The match continued to ebb and flow, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan testing Mike Maignan's reflexes. Meanwhile, both Malick Thiaw and Christian Pulisic squandered opportunities to score from close range, failing to generate enough power on their finishes.

Milan's pursuit of an equalizer led to a gilt-edged opportunity on 62 minutes. Rafael Leao's blistering pace allowed him to sprint past Yann Bisseck and deliver a pinpoint pull-back from the by-line for Tijjani Reijnders. However, Alessandro Bastoni intervened at the crucial moment, throwing himself in the way to charge down Reijnders' finish with his face from just seven yards out.

The action continued to unfold at a frenetic pace, with Yann Sommer producing a desperate save at the back post to deny Alvaro Morata's header. Moments later, Mehdi Taremi narrowly failed to connect with a Denzel Dumfries ball rolled across the six-yard box, leaving the Inter faithful holding their collective breath.

My medallists 🥹🏅#InterMilan #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/28rJLoF6IQ

— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 6, 2025

Denzel Dumfries delivered a precise cross to the back post, where Carlos Augusto met it with a header that clipped the upright and partially crossed the line. However, Mike Maignan was able to gather the ball before it fully crossed the line, denying Inter a potential goal.

Milan's persistence paid off as they completed a stunning comeback to level the score at 2-2. Rafael Leao initiated the move, sending Theo Hernandez sprinting down the left flank. Hernandez pulled the ball back for Christian Pulisic, who controlled it and turned to fire a low shot into the far bottom corner from 12 yards.

As the match neared its conclusion, Mike Maignan made a crucial intervention, rushing off his line to narrow the angle and deny Denzel Dumfries a scoring opportunity after Malick Thiaw's sliding tackle on Davide Frattesi. However, Milan had one final surprise in store.

In the 93rd minute, Rafael Leao latched onto a through ball from Christian Pulisic down the right flank and pulled it across the face of goal. Substitute Tammy Abraham was on hand to tap the ball in from a couple of yards, securing a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory for Milan. This triumph marked Milan's first trophy under new coach Sergio Conceicao.