RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — In just one week in charge, Sergio Conceicao has already won a trophy as AC Milan coach, orchestrating a remarkable comeback with two thrilling victories.
In a gripping encounter on Monday, Milan defied the odds by overturning a two-goal deficit to beat their arch-rivals Inter Milan 3-2, clinching the coveted Italian Super Cup.
Rafael Leao, who started on the bench, was the catalyst for Milan’s comeback, playing a crucial role in the three goals scored by Theo Hernandez, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham.
Conceicao took over as coach following the dismissal of Paulo Fonseca last week and has already led the Rossoneri to a comeback victory over Juventus in the semi-final.
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What has changed since Conceicao took over the team?
“We played with confidence, courage and desire,” Abraham said. “We are a strong team.”
Inter took the lead thanks to goals from Lautaro Martinez and Mehdi Taremi, the latter scoring just after halftime.
Leao then won a free kick, brilliantly converted by Hernandez, who curved the ball around Inter’s defensive wall.
Pulisic completed a quick counter-attack, shooting deftly between goalkeeper Augusto’s legs after receiving the ball from Leao.
Leao played another key role in the winning goal, delivering a perfectly timed pass to Pulisic, who crossed for Abraham to score into an empty net during injury time. Remarkably, the match was about to go to penalties, as under competition rules there would have been no extra time.
The triumph marks Milan’s first title since their Serie A victory in 2022.
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Hernandez reflected, “It’s partly our fault that Fonseca was fired. We didn’t have much time to work with Conceicao, but things worked out well in a short time.”
This Italian Super Cup was the fifth time in seven years that the competition was hosted in Saudi Arabia, with an expanded format of four teams.
Inter’s first goal came from a throw-in, with Taremi providing the assist for Lautaro, who masterfully headed back before firing between Hernandez’s legs in Inter’s only real clear-cut chance in the first period.
After Taremi’s goal early in the second half, Inter looked well placed, but Milan’s two goals turned the tide.
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Milan begin their Serie A campaign under Conceicao against Cagliari on Saturday, ready to regain momentum as they sit eighth in the table with seven wins from 17 matches. However, they will go into the match with renewed confidence after this cup triumph.
The defeat marks only Inter’s third loss of the season in all competitions and the second time they have been beaten by Milan, who won the last Serie A derby 2-1 in September. Their only other defeat came at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
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