Milan’s Incredible Comeback Secures the Italian Super Cup Against Inter
AC Milan staged an extraordinary comeback to defeat their city rivals and arch-enemies Inter Milan 3-2 in the Italian Super Cup final at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The thrilling clash marked the 37th edition of the competition.
Inter, aiming for a fourth consecutive title, appeared on course for victory after goals from Argentine striker Lautaro Martínez (45+1) and Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi (47). However, Milan replicated their semifinal heroics against Juventus, where they overturned a deficit to win 2-1 last Friday. This time, the Rossoneri responded with three stunning goals from Frenchman Theo Hernández (52), American Christian Pulisic (80), and Englishman Tammy Abraham (90+3).
The victory secured Milan their eighth Super Cup title and their first since 2016. It also marked an emphatic start under new Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição, who replaced compatriot Paulo Fonseca.
With the win, Milan avenged their 2022 Super Cup final loss to Inter, where they suffered a 3-0 defeat in Riyadh. This triumph not only ended Inter’s three-year dominance of the competition but also saw Milan match their rivals’ tally of eight Super Cup titles, denying them the chance to equal Juventus’ record of nine victories.
This defeat was just Inter’s third across all competitions this season, following losses to Milan in Serie A (2-1) and Bayer Leverkusen (1-0) in the UEFA Champions League.
For Milan, the victory marked their return to the Super Cup podium after their 2016 triumph against Juventus in Doha, Qatar, which ended in a 4-3 penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Inter, on the other hand, suffered their first Super Cup final defeat since 2011, when they fell to Milan 2-1 in Beijing, China.
Inzaghi Laments as Lautaro Congratulates Milan
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi voiced his disappointment, emphasizing that his team should have managed the match better after taking a 2-0 lead. “First, we must congratulate Milan because they never gave up, even when they were two goals down,” he said.
He continued: “When we were leading 2-1, we lost possession too easily. We should have controlled the match better. We also had several chances to make it 3-1, but Mike Maignan made fantastic saves from Augusto and Dumfries.”
Inzaghi concluded: “Unfortunately, we conceded goals and lost. It’s a painful defeat, but we’ve had tough losses in the past and always bounced back. We need to learn from this and get back on track.”
Inter captain Lautaro Martínez echoed his coach’s sentiments, reflecting on the team’s costly errors. “At the start of the second half, we came out with the right approach. After going 2-0 up, we stopped playing and lacked the same intensity. In matches like these, you pay for such lapses,” he remarked.
Martínez added: “There’s always hunger in finals. We missed some scoring chances when it was 2-2, and moments like these change the course of games.”
He concluded: “We weren’t good at managing those moments, and we lost the match. I’m not sure if it was deserved, but Milan never stopped believing, and full credit to them.”
