Friendly: Milan stun Liverpool 4-2 with clinical counter attacks
Max Allegri’s Milan emerged 4-2 winners against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly, with Rafael Leao, Noah Okafor and Ruben Loftus-Cheek clinical on the counter-attack.
The Rossoneri lost 1-0 to Arsenal earlier this week, winning the mandatory penalty shoot-out that was included in the friendly format.
Once again, Leao was used as a centre-forward by Allegri, who is hoping to make the most of his pace for counter-attacking football.
That proved very effective for the opening goal in Hong Kong, as Leao gathered from practically the centre-circle from a Christian Pulisic assist, sprinted forward and blasted a precise left-foot finish into the roof of the net from a tricky angle.
WHAT A GOAL FROM RAFAEL LEÃO
Christian Pulisic plays a perfect outlet pass and the 26-year-old Portuguese star does the rest pic.twitter.com/DN7ImhrwlI
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) July 26, 2025
Naturally, the dedication was for his Portugal teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash this summer, holding up his fingers to form the player’s 20 shirt number.
Dominik Szoboszlai equalised with a spectacular finish, bent into the far top corner from just inside the area with his right foot.
DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI OH MY DAYS
Pick that one out pic.twitter.com/OIiz0uAWhL
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) July 26, 2025
Mo Salah volleyed onto the side-netting and Ruben Loftus-Cheek failed to finish off another promising counter-attack, while Youssef Fofana scuffed the finish after a save on Pulisic.
In first half stoppages, Pulisic again got down the right and his pull-back created chaos, Alisson Becker just about stopping Davide Bartesaghi turning in the rebound.
Milan restored their lead with another counter-attack, this time Noah Okafor sending Leao sprinting and he generously laid it off for Loftus-Cheek, who shrugged off a defender to finish from 10 yards.
SLICK FOOTWORK FROM RAFAEL LEÃO AND RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK
Milan are ahead in Hong Kong pic.twitter.com/8zKvWXF6Me
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) July 26, 2025
Pietro Terracciano pushed a Cody Gakpo free kick out of the far top corner, but the third Milan goal was another counter-attack.
Leao’s back-heel flick sparked the move sending Alexis Saelemaekers down the right, rolling across for Okafor to finish it off relatively undisturbed.
WHAT A FINISH FROM NOAH OKAFOR
Milan are running over Liverpool in the second half pic.twitter.com/Tm7RAEsjro
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) July 26, 2025
Pervis Estupinan made his debut for Milan and Ryan Gravenberch clipped the crossbar from distance, but Gakpo got it all wrong when sent clear by an inspired Ben Doak pass.
Deep into stoppages, Liverpool pulled one back with a Konate cross stood up for the looping Gakpo header back across Pietro Terracciano.
Preseason, am I right? pic.twitter.com/rQz9Uo62iS
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) July 26, 2025
It still wasn’t over, as Milan restored their two-goal cushion moments later with Okafor pouncing on a comical Tsimikas back-pass that caught Mamardshvili miles off his line.
Liverpool 2-4 Milan
Leao 11 (M), Szoboszlai 26 (L), Loftus-Cheek 52 (M), Okafor 60, 95 (M), Gakpo 94 (L)
Liverpool: Alisson (Mamardshvili 46); Stephenson (Bradley 46), Morton (Nyoni 32), Van Dijk (Konate 46), Robertson (Tsimikas 46); Gravenberch, Szoboszlai (Jones 46); Salah (Frimpong 46), Elliott (Kerkez 46), Ngumoha (Gakpo 46); Wirtz (Doak 46)
Milan: Maignan (P Terracciano 46); Tomori (F Terracciano 77), Thiaw (Dutu 84), Pavlovic (Gabbia 46); Saelemaekers (Magni 84), Loftus-Cheek (Bondo 63), Ricci (Comotto 77), Fofana (Musah 46), Bartesaghi (Estupinan 63); Leao (Chukwueze 63), Pulisic (Okafor 46)