In the rescheduled 19th round of Serie A, AC Milan came from behind to beat Como 2-1, giving manager Sérgio Conceição his first league victory. Despite a lacklustre first half, Milan turned the game around with goals from Theo Hernández and Rafael Leão within five minutes in the second half, cancelling out Diao’s opener for the hosts.
The win moved Milan to seventh place with 31 points, but the night was not without setbacks. Injuries to Christian Pulisic and Malick Thiaw, combined with Álvaro Morata’s suspension for the upcoming match against Juventus, cast a shadow over the result.
As in the Supercoppa, Milan relied on Theo and Leão to deliver victory. However, aside from the result, there were few positives for Conceição to take from the match at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. The Portuguese coach will be disappointed by his side’s underwhelming performance for the first hour, only sparked into life by Diao’s goal for Como.
Theo’s equaliser owed much to fortune, while Leão’s match-winning goal showcased the quality and class this Milan side possesses. Como, meanwhile, impressed for 60 minutes but ran out of steam, with the decisive five-minute spell between the 71st and 76th minutes proving their undoing.
Fabregas welcomed back Goldaniga after suspension and opted for a three-man defence. Despite Nico Paz’s return from injury, he started on the bench, with Diao leading the line as he had done against Lazio. Conceição made two changes from the side that faced Cagliari, with Emerson Royal replacing Calabria and Bennacer coming into midfield in place of Musah.
Como began brightly, playing their usual possession-based game under Fabregas’ guidance. Diao, Strefezza, and Fadera were lively in attack, while Strefezza’s long-range strike in the sixth minute forced a sharp save from Maignan. Milan struggled to impose themselves and relied on counter-attacks, with their best first-half opportunity coming when Leão set up Reijnders, whose shot was saved by Butez, who also denied Morata on the follow-up.
Como squandered a golden opportunity in the 36th minute when Strefezza, instead of shooting, attempted a cross to Cutrone at the far post, only to misplace his effort. Meanwhile, Milan’s technical imprecision and lack of attacking threat frustrated Conceição. Adding to his woes, Morata picked up a yellow card that rules him out of the Juventus clash, and Pulisic was forced off with an adductor injury just before half-time.
Conceição’s discontent was evident in the three substitutions he made at the break, introducing Abraham, Jiménez, and Musah for Morata, Pulisic, and Bennacer. Como also made a change, with Caqueret making his debut. Milan began the second half with more urgency, with Leão driving forward and creating a chance for Jiménez, whose effort was saved by Butez.
However, it was Como who broke the deadlock in the 60th minute. Diao’s low left-footed strike beat Maignan at the near post, with the goalkeeper arguably at fault. Moments later, Milan suffered another blow as Thiaw limped off with a muscle injury, replaced by Gabbia.
The substitution proved pivotal, as Gabbia’s header set up Theo Hernández, whose mishit effort somehow found its way past Butez to level the score in the 71st minute. Buoyed by the equaliser, Milan pressed forward and completed the turnaround five minutes later. Abraham’s perfectly weighted through ball found Leão, who raced past Dossena and chipped the ball delicately over the onrushing Butez.
Fabregas threw on Gabrielloni, Belotti, and Verdi in a bid to rescue a point, and it was Cutrone who came closest. The former Milan striker’s volley was expertly saved by Maignan, ensuring the Rossoneri held on for a hard-fought victory.
