Milan struggled against the newly promoted Serie A side, was on the verge of another disappointment, but their star players stepped up and carried the Rossoneri to victory like in the old days. Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leão, and finally Mike Maignan led Milan to a comeback win away against a resilient Como (2-1). The Rossoneri continue to show inconsistency, but it’s clear that Sérgio Conceição has reignited the form of the team’s top players, who were previously out of sync under Fonseca. Recently, Theo and Leão were the heroes in the Super Cup victory against Inter, and tonight, they orchestrated Milan’s turnaround once again. Under their new coach, the Rossoneri are demonstrating character and the ability to overcome tough situations. While they failed to capitalize on their dominance against Cagliari, they’ve now secured wins in their last three matches, all of which featured comebacks against stronger opponents. However, tonight they paid a heavy price, losing three key players for next weekend’s derby against Juventus.🚨🇮🇹 GOAL | Como 1-1 AC Milan | Theo HernandezTHEO HERNANDEZ HAS EQUALIZED FOR AC MILAN!pic.twitter.com/9mEAq4KA4o— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) January 14, 2025 The only surprise in Conceição’s starting XI was the return of Ismaël Bennacer to the midfield in place of Yunus Musah. Otherwise, everything else was as expected. The Portuguese coach continues to rely heavily on stars like Leão, Hernandez, Pulisic, Tomori, and Reijnders. On the other side, Como has recently revived its form. Cesca Fàbregas’s team defeated Roma and Lecce, drew with Lazio in the past four rounds, and received an additional boost of confidence with several new signings during the winter transfer window. All the new arrivals featured tonight and made a strong impression. For example, young winger Assane Diao, recently signed from Real Betis, caused Milan’s defense problems from the start. He also forced Álvaro Morata into a yellow card, which will rule the Spaniard out of the Juventus derby this weekend.Milan needed around 20 minutes for their first clear chance when Rafael Leão drew the entire Como defense towards him and set up a sitter for Reijnders, but debutant goalkeeper Jean Bute charged forward and blocked the Dutchman’s shot. Como also had a good opportunity, but it was squandered by Stepheca due to poor finishing, showing they were a worthy opponent. At halftime, Conceição made three substitutions, bringing on Abraham, Musah, and Jiménez for the injured Pulisic, a significant blow ahead of the Juventus derby. On the other side, Como introduced their record signing, Maxence Caqueret, who was bought from Lyon for 17 million euros a few days ago, making him the most expensive player in the club’s history. Caqueret made an immediate impact, assisting Diao with a brilliant ball down the right wing. Diao capitalized on Theo Hernandez’s weak defending and surprised Maignan with a shot to the near post.🚨🇮🇹 GOAL | Como 1-2 AC Milan | Rafael LeaoRAFAEL LEAO HAS GIVEN AC MILAN THE LEAD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/cLEgEc867O— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) January 14, 2025 Milan’s problems seemed endless as Malick Thiaw had to leave the field due to an injury. Then, out of nowhere, an equalizer came from Theo Hernandez. The Frenchman awkwardly connected with the ball in a crowded box following a corner, and the shot, with an unexpected spin, deceived Bute. In doing so, Hernandez wrote his name in club history, surpassing Paolo Maldini as the highest-scoring defender in Milan’s history with his 30th goal for the Rossoneri. The equalizer sparked Milan into action, and in the 76th minute, they completed the comeback. Abraham delivered a fantastic through ball, setting up Rafael Leão one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The Portuguese forward coolly chipped the ball over Bute for the winner, which was ultimately secured by a brilliant save from Mike Maignan, who denied Cutrone a golden chance in the dying moments.SERIE A – MATCHDAY 19TuesdayComo – Milan 1-2 (0-0)/Diao 60 – Hernandez 71, Leao 76/22:45: (2.10) Atalanta (3.40) Juventus (3.60)Wednesday22:45: (1.50) Inter (4.20) Bologna (6.75)***odds are subject to change***
