– Dramatic turnaround gave the Portuguese revenge
AC Milan produced a formidable turnaround in the second half as they crushed Manchester United 4-2 in Wroclaw. Samuel Chukwueze was the architect of the comeback that gave Ruben Amorim his first win over the team he once managed.
United led twice – and were denied by a brilliant penalty save from Lorenzo Torriani in the first half – before they were completely overrun by four goals in the second half.
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Harry Maguire set the tone after just two minutes. The centre-back rose to the sky completely unmarked and headed Bruno Fernandes’ corner kick from the left powerfully past Torriani.
Milan equalised before half-time. Chukwueze, who was a nightmare to deal with throughout the first half, pressured United’s defence time and time again and created chaos. The equalizer in the 37th minute was a well-deserved reward for a sustained pressure.
United had a golden opportunity to regain the lead when Fernandes was awarded a penalty in the 41st minute after a hand from Milan. But Torriani threw himself to the right and saved magnificently.
Patrick Dorgu put United in the lead again six minutes after half-time. The Dane took advantage of a moment of hesitation in Milan’s defence, receiving the ball in space and finishing coldly.
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Milan’s wild second half
What followed was a merciless twenty-minute period from Amorim’s side – and United had no answers.
Alphadjo Cissé equalized in the 57th minute. He came late into the box and put the ball into the goal after a fluid attack where Chukwueze again made the breakthrough on the right side.
The equalizer was quickly followed up by the management. Gonçalo Ramos put the ball past the United goalkeeper in the 68th minute – his first goal of the summer.
Three minutes later, the game was decided. Ruben Loftus-Cheek came storming from deep and placed a calm shot in the corner to make it 4-2.
United chased in the closing minutes, but found no way back.
Injuries weakened United
Without Tom Heaton, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martínez, Benjamin Šeško and Kobbie Mainoo – all out with injuries – the options were severely limited for United doctor Michael Carrick.
This is how the teams lined up
Milan (Amorim):
Lorenzo Torriani – Filippo Terracciano, Koni De Winter, Strahinja Pavlović – Samuel Chukwueze, Ardon Jashari, Yunus Musah, Pervis Estupiñán – Ruben Loftus-Cheek – Alpha Cissé, Gonçalo Ramos.
Substitutes: Samuele Ricci, Sankhoun Diawara, Luka Modrić, Christian Comotto, Davide Bartesaghi, Valeri Vladimirov, Matteo Pittarella, Alexis Saelemaekers, Francesco Camarda, Mario Gila, Leo-Paul Bouyer.
Amorim made four changes from the 3-0 loss to Chelsea in Jakarta the week before. Luka Modrić, Christian Comotto, Rafael Leão and Francesco Camarda had to give way, while Mike Maignan is still not back in training. Christopher Nkunku was not there either – he has been told that he can leave the San Siro.
Manchester United (Carrick):
Senne Lammens – Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw – Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos – Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu – Matheus Cunha.
Substitutes: Fred Heath, Ben me, Harry Amass, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martínez, Leny Yoro, Toby Collyer, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, Kobbie Mainoo, JJ Gabriel, Shea Lacey, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee.
Carrick made six changes from the 1-1 draw with Leeds three days earlier (5-4 on penalties in Dublin). Mazraoui, Maguire, Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Tielemans and Shaw came in – while Dalot, Yoro, Amass, Fletcher, Zirkzee and Mbeumo were relegated to the bench.
Historical backdrop
Milan had been winless in their previous three friendlies – a 2-2 draw away to Celtic, a 1-1 draw with Inter in Perth and then a loss to Chelsea.
In the 2025/26 pre-season, they faced English clubs four times: 1-0 against Arsenal (but a win on penalties), a 4-2 loss against Liverpool, a 1-1 against Leeds and a 4-1 loss against Chelsea.
The last time Milan faced an English club in an official match, they lost 3-1 at home to Liverpool in the 2024/25 Champions League.
Against English teams in total, Milan has 13 wins, 14 draws and 20 losses. One of the defeats came in their last meeting with United – in the Europa League quarter-finals at the San Siro in March 2021. Paul Pogba scored the only goal of the game to send United through to the quarter-finals (2-1 on aggregate) – a season that ended with a penalty shootout loss to Villarreal in the final.
United have six wins to Milan’s five in the twelve competitive matches between the teams, and have been unbeaten in four since their 3-0 defeat in the Champions League semi-finals in May 2007. United won 3-2 at home in that game, but Milan went on to beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final.
Outside Milan, Milan have just one win against United in four attempts (one win, one draw, four losses) – a 1-0 win at Old Trafford in the Champions League last eight in February 2005. Hernán Crespo scored the only goal in that game, and Milan then beat Inter and PSV before squandering a 3-0 lead at half-time and losing on penalties to Liverpool in the final.
Now the start of the league awaits. United open against Hull City and Norwegian Jens Hjertø-Dahl on Saturday at 13.30. Then they have to show that the dress rehearsal was just a miss.
