Milan defend Supercoppa Italiana title with fresh hopes | OneFootball

One year after the unexpected victory in the Italian Super Cup under the command of a newly arrived coach, Milan takes the field once again to defend its trophy starting this Thursday in Riyadh. This time, the Rossoneri team boasts a more stable scenario and higher expectations.

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Performance and Changes in the Coaching Staff

The euphoria after the comeback win against Inter Milan (3-2) marked the previous triumph. However, the tenure of Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição, who arrived to replace Paulo Fonseca, was brief. An eighth-place finish in Serie A and a loss in the Italian Cup final led to his departure.

His successor, Massimiliano Allegri, brought about a remarkable transformation, putting Milan back in second place in Serie A, just one point off the lead, with an unbeaten run of 14 matches in the league, totaling nine wins and five draws.

Matchups and Expectations for the Super Cup

The Lombard club, which will feature six players from the reserve squad, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic's eldest son, will face Napoli in the Super Cup semifinals this Thursday.

Napoli, the current Serie A champions, are in third place, two points behind the leader, but are seeking recovery amid an injury crisis. The return of Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, after recovering from a muscle injury, could provide the boost needed for Antonio Conte's team.

The other semifinal, scheduled for Friday, will see Bologna, the Italian Cup winners, take on Inter Milan, the 2025 Serie A runners-up and current league leaders.

Record Prize and Tournament History

The Italian Super Cup, held for the fourth consecutive edition in Saudi Arabia and the sixth time in its history, will distribute a record prize of US$27 million, with US$13 million going to the champion. The tournament, created in 1988, has Juventus of Turin as its biggest winner, with nine titles, the last one won in 2020.

Italian Super Cup Schedule:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.