August 09, (THEWILL) – AC Milan needed penalty kicks to get past Serie B side, Monza, in the inaugural Trofeo Berlusconi friendly on Tuesday night.
The match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes before Milan prevailed 6-5 on penalties at the U-Power Stadium. New signing, Christian Pulisic, had opened the scoring for Milan one minute before the half-hour mark, but Andrea Colpani equalised for Monza before halftime. Neither side could find a winner in a lacklustre second half, sending the game to spot kicks.
The Trofeo Berlusconi was organised as a tribute to former Milan and Monza owner, the late Silvio Berlusconi, after his passing earlier this year. A somber atmosphere marked the occasion, with Monza CEO, Adriano Galliani, delivering an emotional speech about his close friend and colleague before kickoff.
For Milan, the match provided important minutes for new signings like Pulisic as the team prepares for the new Serie A season. Manager Stefano Pioli will be looking for improved sharpness from his side, however, after an uninspired second half performance. The gulf in quality between the two sides did not show in the match was it did not appear to be teams in two divisions on the pitch.
In the end, Milan got the win on penalties to claim the inaugural Trofeo Berlusconi trophy. But the Rossoneri still have work to do to reach peak form with their Serie A opener away against Bologna just over a week away.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
