AC Milan produced a second-half comeback to secure a 2-1 win over Juventus and advance to the Italian Super Cup final to face Inter.
The Rossoneri fell behind after 21 minutes as Kenan Yildiz gave Juve the lead, and although we showed discipline and organisation, we lacked quality and any kind of attacking threat in the opening 45 minutes.
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That changed after half-time though as we began to create more openings, and after Christian Pulisic drew us level from the penalty spot, Yunus Musah saw his cross take a huge deflection into the back of the net to seal our win.
Milan will now face Inter in the Italian Super Cup final on Monday, with Sergio Conceicao no doubt delighted to have secured a win in his first game in charge.
AC Milan player ratings vs Juventus:
Mike Maignan, 6.5 – Distribution was excellent, particularly in the build-up to our equaliser, but he’ll be disappointed he didn’t do better to deny Yildiz’s strike at his near post.
Emerson Royal, 6 – Worked tirelessly to keep things tight on that side of the pitch, and although he was caught out at times, he improved as the game went on.
Fikayo Tomori, 6 – Similarly to Emerson, he improved in the second half, as although he was full of energy and marshalled the backline well, his marking wasn’t good enough at times which could have cost us.
Malick Thiaw, 6.5 – Strong display in both phases, as he was disciplined and diligent defensively, while accurate and impactful with his passing to help build our play out from the back.
Theo Hernandez, 5.5 – Defended really poorly for the opener, as his positioning and body shape was all wrong which led to him being caught out. Missed a glaring opportunity to draw us level at the other end. On a positive note, he was key in the lead up to us winning the penalty for our equaliser.
Ismael Bennacer, 6 – Was clear that he is still rusty given his lack of football, as he often took too much time and too many touches which led to getting himself in trouble. Can’t question his effort though as he worked tirelessly, and hopefully as he gets back up to speed, he’ll become more influential in possession.
Youssouf Fofana, 6.5 – Covered so much ground to give us a physical presence and control in midfield, was a pivotal figure in helping us stay solid structurally to eventually turn the game on its head.
Tijjani Reijnders, 6 – Went close with an effort from distance in the second half as he started to warm up, but despite his excellent work-rate, there wasn’t enough quality on the ball to go with it.
Christian Pulisic, 7 – What a boost to have him back. By no means at his best just yet as he builds his match fitness and sharpness, but won our penalty and smashed it home himself in a critical moment in the game. Continues to be decisive when we need him.
Alvaro Morata, 6 – Did well to link play together and find teammates in space, but was never really a threat up front until the second half. Carved open a couple of chances, but couldn’t quite find the killer end product to make it count.
Alex Jimenez, 5.5 – An important shift for the team as he worked hard down that flank to give us energy and defensive coverage, but lacked quality to make the difference in the final third.
Substitutes:
Yunus Musah, 7 – Albeit fortuitous, it was his attempted cross that took a big deflection and nestled into the back of the net. Added energy and fresh impetus down the right flank in the latter stages as he proved to be an influential change from Conceicao.
Tammy Abraham, 6 – Similarly to Musah, he gave us fresh energy in the attacking third with his closing down and movement in and around the box.
Matteo Gabbia, N/A
Filippo Terracciano, N/A