Denzel Dumfries’ brace helped Inter defeat Atalanta 2-0 and advance to the Supercoppa Italiana final.
Dumfries scored 49′ and 61′.
With three wasted chances, Lautaro Martínez of Inter came closest to opening the score as the two teams entered the half tied at zero.
However, Denzel Dumfries gave his team a fantastic lead with a bicycle kick as the Nerazzurri returned from the break with a more focused and determined concentration.
As he finished his brace with another incredible effort—this time a rocket of a strike into the top corner from the edge of the box—the Dutchman was in brilliant form.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s club believed they had pulled one back through Éderson, but the Brazilian’s attempt was disallowed for offside. Atalanta is not a team that gives up easy.
In the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final, Denzel Dumfries gave Inter the lead with an incredible bicycle kick shortly after halftime.
Additionally, the Dutchman’s goal puts him in good company as he became the fifth goal scorer from the Netherlands to score in the competition.
Dumfries scored twice in a single game compared to three goals in Serie A action this season, doubling Inter’s lead just twelve minutes later with another incredible goal.
Wesley Sneijder, the Inter treble champion, and Milan greats Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, and Frank Rijkaard have all scored in prior Supercoppa adds.
Surely Dumfries couldn’t get a hat-trick?
The winner of Milan vs. Juventus’ second semi-final, which is scheduled for Friday night, will play Inter.
The details of the Supercoppa Italiana match between Juventus and Milan
How did the two teams earn their spots?
The Supercoppa Italiana switched to a four-team format in 2023, abandoning the previous structure that paired the Coppa Italia champion against the Scudetto winner.
The Coppa Italia finalists, who coincidentally were the top four in Serie A the previous season, will face the top two in Serie A.
Milan advanced to the Supercoppa semi-final by finishing second in Serie A, while Juventus secured their trip to Saudi Arabia by winning the Coppa Italia in May.
The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh will host the final on Monday night.
In Riyadh, Juventus will play Milan in the 2024–25 Supercoppa Italiana.
Everything you need to know before this delicious encounter is right here.
What time and location is the game?
Serie A runners-up Milan and Coppa Italia champions Juventus will face off in the Supercoppa Italiana 2025 second semi-final on January 3.
The game, the other semi-final, and the final will all take place at the recently built Kingdom Arena, and it will begin at 22:00 local time (20:00 CET).
In addition to being the home of Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal, the 30,000-seat stadium in Riyadh opened in October 2023 and has two Guinness World Records: the largest covered football stadium in the world and the largest indoor covered stadium capacity.
One player to watch from each team
Kenan Yıldız (Juventus)
The young Turkish player is having a fantastic season and appears to be embracing the responsibility Thiago Motta has given him.
He is well regarded, as evidenced by his Golden Boy Web Award victory in December, and he is destined to be a mainstay of the Bianconeri front line for many years to come.
He is also notable for being the first goal scorer in the Champions League’s redesigned group stage.
Rafael Leão (Milan)
The Portuguese player, who was once the Serie A MVP not too long ago, is having a tough season under his countryman Paulo Fonseca.
Although he is now on the sidelines and not a sure starter, he has demonstrated that he can still torture defenses when given the chance.
This confrontation can be the ideal chance to restore some confidence and trust.
Who are the coaches?
Thiago Motta (Juventus)
After an extremely strong start based on superb defensive performances, the new man in the Old Lady dugout has been under pressure a bit more recently.
After bringing Bologna into the Champions League for the first time in their history under the current system, Motta was rewarded with the position at Turin.
He has received criticism for some disappointing mistakes in November and December, but winning his first trophy will help him gain back the support of his supporters.
Sergio Conceição (Milan)
It appeared like Paulo Fonseca, the under-fire Milan manager, would weather the storm long enough to lead his club to Saudi Arabia less than a week ago.
However, after a bad start, he was dismissed after Sunday’s disappointing stalemate against his old club, Roma, and was quickly replaced by fellow countryman Sergio Conceição.
His debut match as manager of the Rossoneri will be against Juventus in Riyadh. The highly rated strategist had been unemployed since ending a brilliant seven-year stint at Porto during the summer.
The clubs contested the 2003 Champions League final against each other in the first ever all-Italian affair. A tense affair at Old Trafford produced no goals before Milan went on to win on penalties.
Predicted line-ups
Juventus (4-2-3-1): De Gregorio; Danilo, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceiçao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahović
Milan (4-3-3): Maignan; Royal, Gabbia, Thiaw, Jimenez; Fofana, Reijnders, Pulisic; Chukwueze, Abraham, Leão
