RIYADH: In Riyadh on Monday, AC Milan overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat defending champions Inter Milan 3-2 and win the Italian Super Cup trophy thanks to a late goal from Tammy Abraham.
Following the Saudi Arabian break, goals by Mehdi Taremi and Lautaro Martinez put Inter in position to win the competition for the fourth time in a row.
However, Milan came back from the half changed, a rerun of their 2-1 comeback victory over Juventus in the semi-final.
Kristjan Asllani replaced the Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu after the reigning Serie A winners lost the Turkish player to a muscular injury shortly after thirty minutes, adding to Inter’s problems.
As AC Milan sought their first trophy under new coach Sergio Conceicao, Theo Hernandez’s free kick after 52 minutes restored their hopes.
After 93 minutes, English forward Abraham sealed the victory, while US winger Christian Pulisic grabbed the equalizer with 10 minutes remaining, giving his team the trophy for the eighth time and the first since 2016.
For the third consecutive year, Inter, the three-time reigning champions, defeated Atalanta 2-0 on Thursday in the Super Cup semifinals held in Saudi Arabia.
AC Milan’s eighth Italian Super Cup triumph puts them behind Juventus, who have won the competition a record nine times, and on par with Inter.
A stunning light show at King Saud University Stadium preceded the game, but it wasn’t until the last few seconds of the first half that the action truly got going.
Taremi set Martinez up with a pass across the box, and the attacker beat Mike Maignan at his near post with a low shot through Hernandez’s legs after using some deft movement to trick Malick Thiaw.
Inter picked up where they left off two minutes after the half. Taremi expertly controlled a long ball over the top that Stefan de Vrij had played, and he sent his shot into the bottom corner to extend their lead.
The match was reopened when Milan sent on Rafael Leao, who won a free kick just beyond the area. Hernandez curled low around the wall, and the ball slipped just inside the post.
There were ten minutes left when Milan equalized. It appeared that a shootout would decide the match, with no additional time to be played, as Christian Pulisic, surrounded by three Inter players, controlled a cross from Hernandez and directed his shot into the far corner.
When Leao brought the ball back across the goal and Abraham, another replacement, was there for the most basic of tap-ins to break Inter hearts, Milan’s persistent pressure paid off.
While the Inter team collapsed to the ground in shock, Conceicao, who took Paulo Fonseca’s position after manager was fired last week, rejoiced excitedly with his players.
Conceicao said Mediaset, “The team has character; it managed to win games against two great teams in the end.” “They pay me because the coach has to make some adjustments at halftime.”
Before returning to his squad, the manager also sustained an injury that required treatment on the sidelines.
Conceicao laughed and remarked, “Emerson Royal made a red card tackle on me.”
Conceicao had said that he was not a kind guy and rarely smiled after the victory over Juventus, but as the festivities went on in the dressing room following the Super Cup victory, the manager danced and smoked a cigar.
At the conclusion of the match, Conceicao said, “The players told me right away that I had to smoke a cigar; they knew that I do this ritual when I lift a title.”
