A deflected strike from Adel Taarabt was enough to ensure Benfica beat AC Milan 1-0 to finish their International Champions Cup campaign with a 100 per cent record on Sunday, reports agencies. Benfica ride a hot goalkeeper and a lucky goal. Milan lose another preseason game, but it’s all about the process.
Milan dominated the first half in Foxborough without making their pressure count, with their Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek missing the best of the openings.
After the break it was all Benfica, and the pressure told in the 70th minute as a corner came out to Taarabt, which he drilled for goal only for the ball to take a huge deflection on its way past Pepe Reina. Milan pressed for an equaliser but again came up short, as they finish the United States leg of the pre-season event with two defeats from two.
Despite losing star youngster Joao Felix who was transferred to Atletico Madrid at the start of the summer, Benfica completed a clean sweep of victories in the Massachusetts sunshine.
AC Milan had another high-profile friendly in the United States today as part of the International Champions Cup. The rossoneri faced off against defending Liga NOS champions Benfica at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of both the NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS side New England Revolution.
Matches like these aren’t really about the results, but instead giving a chance for North America based fans an opportunity to see their favorite teams up close.
The bulk of the chances went Milan’s way in the first half, with a rocket of a shot from Hakan Calhanoglu bouncing off of the post in the 27th minute, followed quickly by the Benfica keeper Odisseas Vlachodimos making a number of good saves to keep the clean sheet.