Real Madrid 0-1 AC Milan: Chukwueze earns second win of USA tour | OneFootball

AC Milan made it two wins out of two in their 2024 Soccer Champions Tour campaign as they beat Real Madrid 1-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Head coach Paulo Fonseca made some changes to the starting line-up that played in New York against Manchester City, with Malick Thiaw coming in for Matteo Gabbia, Mattia Liberali occupying the playmaker role and Marco Nasti up front.

Milan made a very positive start to the game and could have taken the lead inside four minutes through Samuel Chukwueze. A loose pass inside the Real Madrid box fell to the Nigerian winger, whose low shot was well saved by Courtois from a central position.

Three minutes later, another chance was spurned by the Rossoneri. This time a flowing attack saw Chukwueze feed Mattia Liberali who poked the ball through to Marco Nasti, but again Courtois came to the rescue by saving with his legs.

There was another demonstration of Milan’s ability to go from defence to attack quickly in the 13th minute when Lorenzo Torriani started a move that ended with a cut-back from the right side, yet Saelemaekers saw his shot blocked at the far post when it looked like the goal was gaping.

The only other two opportunities of note in the first half involved shots that narrowly missed the target. Chukwueze bent an effort just wide of the far top corner after cutting inside in the 24th minute, then Brahim Diaz wasn’t far off scoring with a curled attempt after the hydration break.

In the 55th minute, Milan took a lead that their pressure had probably warranted. A loose pass out from defence by Real was pounced on by Fikayo Tomori, and Mattia Liberali did well to slide a ball through for Chukwueze who finished low and hard past Lunin.

Two minutes later, it should have been 2-0. Davide Calabria seized a stray pass and Chukwueze pulled the ball back to Liberali, who shot just over with the keeper out of the equation.

A few minutes after the hour mark, the Rossoneri came close again and this time it was the crossbar that denied them. A teasing free-kick from Ismael Bennacer met the head of Malick Thiaw, who was inches away from scoring.

A number of changes came in minute 65, with Christian Pulisic, Luka Jovic, Alex Jimenez, Pierre Kalulu and Yunus Musah coming on. Nasti, Liberali, Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek and Terracciano came off.

Pulisic could have netted his first preseason goal in his home country not long after coming off the bench when Chukwueze did well to find his run in behind the defence yet Lunin was equal to his shot.

With 12 minutes left, some more changes were made: Tommaso Pobega, Matteo Gabbia, Hugo Cuenca and Andrea Bakoune came on, while Bennacer, Thiaw, Chukwueze and Saelemaekers went off. Francesco Camarda also got the final few minutes, replacing Tomori.