England striker of Nigerian descent, Tammy Abraham, scored an injury-time winner on Monday night to secure a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory for AC Milan over Inter Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana final, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The win marked the first silverware for AC Milan’s new manager, Sérgio Conceição.
Inter Milan had been on the brink of history after a 2-0 victory over Atalanta BC in the semi-finals, but they faced their local rivals, who triumphed 2-1 over Juventus to reach the final in Conceição’s first match in charge.
In the opening half, Inter dominated as Milan struggled to find their rhythm with a new coach.
Despite Inter’s control, there were few clear-cut chances. Mehdi Taremi’s header was wide from Nicolò Barella’s cross, and a Mike Maignan save denied Federico Dimarco’s powerful drive. At the other end, Tijjani Reijnders nearly found the bottom corner but skewed his shot wide.
The first half’s biggest concern for Inter was an injury to Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who was replaced by Kristjan Asllani just after the hour mark. However, moments before the break, Inter captain Lautaro Martínez gave his side the lead, finishing a quick combination involving Dimarco, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Taremi with a precise shot into the corner.
Milan’s confidence seemed shaken after conceding so close to halftime, but they quickly fell further behind within two minutes of the second half. A brilliant pass from Stefan de Vrij found Taremi, who calmly slotted the ball past Maignan, making it 2-0.
Despite their early setback, Milan showcased their attacking quality and swiftly pulled a goal back. Rafael Leão was brought down just outside the box, and Théo Hernández converted the resulting free-kick into the bottom corner, halving the deficit.
The match then became a thrilling, end-to-end affair. Christian Pulisic tested Yann Sommer with a header from close range, while Alessandro Bastoni blocked Reijnders’ shot. Milan’s Álvaro Morata then forced another save from Sommer. Inter regained control for a time, with Maignan stopping Lautaro’s low attempt, but Milan continued to press.
Pulisic, who had scored in Milan’s previous victory over Juventus, equalized in the 80th minute, calmly striking into the bottom corner from close range to make it 2-2.
Inter had two golden chances to snatch the win, but Denzel Dumfries failed to capitalise on both. As the game seemed set for extra time, Milan struck in the dying moments. Leão’s pass found Abraham, who tapped into an empty net to give Milan a stunning late victory.
After a mixed 2024, Milan has started 2025 on a high note, winning the last two encounters with their rivals. Inter, on the other hand, will be left bitterly disappointed after seeing the trophy slip away in the final moments.
