AC Milan ensured that their 2024-25 season ended in winning fashion, as they beat bottom of the table Monza 2-0 at San Siro.
It took until midway through the second half for Milan to break the deadlock, but Matteo Gabbia did so with a header from a corner. Then, Joao Felix whipped in a free-kick to make sure of the points.
It is a result that does nothing in terms of saving a disastrous campaign but it does mean that the Rossoneri have avoided an August Coppa Italia game by finishing eighth. However, the protests before and during the game said exactly how the fans feel.
Sergio Conceicao was not present in the dugout due to having received a red card in the defeat to Roma. He made two changes to the starting line-up that lost in the capital, with Davide Bartesaghi getting the nod at left wing-back and Luka Jovic coming back in up front.
Milan started the game on top and had the first clear opening when Joao Felix’s run in behind was fed by a pass from Tijjani Reijnders. The angle was always worsening for the Portuguese forward, who shot straight at Pizzignacco in the end but while having a hand on his shoulder which he wanted a penalty for.
Pizzignacco was called into action again in the sixth minute and this time he produced a stop from the very top drawer. The birthday boy Strahinja Pavlovic took a free-kick 20 yards out and it was dipping into the bottom corner before being clawed away.
In what was an end-to-end opening, Monza were close to getting themselves level when a strike from Keita fell to Birindelli deep inside the box and his rebound from a narrow angle struck the post. However, replays showed he probably would have been offside.
The away side had another chance to get themselves into a surprise San Siro lead when a corner routine ended with a cross to the far stick and a header from Keita that didn’t really trouble Mike Maignan.
Milan then went back to knocking on the door and came close twice in quick succession: firstly when a Joao Felix reverse pass almost put Luka Jovic through but for a last-ditch tackle; secondly when a cross to the far stick from Musah was headed over by Christian Pulisic.
Felix was preferred to Rafael Leao in the starting line-up and Milan’s threatening moments continued to go through him, such as when Pulisic went on a darting run infield and laid the ball off to the Chelsea loanee who fired narrowly wide of the far post.
Monza thought they had taken the lead less than two minutes before the break when a cross was nodded on to Balde who lashed in a volley on the far side. The offside flag went up for the initial pass, and the call was upheld after a VAR check.
Conceicao – or rather his assistant Joao Costa – made a couple of changes at the break, with Samuel Chukwueze and Francesco Camarda coming on for Yunus Musah and Jovic.
Milan started the second half on top, with Pulisic first firing into the side netting at the near post, and then the substitute Chukwueze also failing to find the target from Joao Felix’s through ball.
Those who remained inside San Siro after the mass walk-out were nearly treated to an incredible memory when Camarda – having brought the ball under control – flicked it over his and the defender’s head before seeing a volley saved. However, play had been blown dead anyway.
On the hour mark, another substitution came: Alex Jimenez entered the field at left wing-bark, with Bartesaghi coming off.
It was one-way traffic in the early part of the second half and the Rossoneri were inches away from taking the lead twice in quick succession. Tomori crossed to Felix whose header hit the underside of the bar, then Camarda rolled a shot wide of the far post with his instep.
Finally Milan did take the lead that their pressure had been threatening and it came via a corner in the 64th minute. In truth it was fairly routine: a whipped delivery to the near post by Chukwueze was nodded in by Gabbia from close range.
Gabbia sblocca #MilanMonza 1-0 ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/xg75OKs53L
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) May 24, 2025
Milan doubled their advantage 10 minutes after the first goal went in and it was Joao Felix whose endeavour to that point was rewarded. The Portuguese playmaker was allowed to take a free-kick on the left side just over 20 yards out and his shot was perfect: over the wall and with the right amount of curl to take it away from Pizzignacco.
🖌️ Pennellata su calcio di punizione di JOAO FELIX 🖼️#MilanMonza 2-0 pic.twitter.com/Wed8wlZKl8
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) May 24, 2025
The final couple of changes saw Youssouf Fofana and Alessandro Florenzi enter the fray, with Felix and Pulisic the ones to make way. It meant that neither Theo Hernandez nor Rafael Leao got any minutes, fuelling rumours of a potential summer exit.
I think if the price is right and our leao does leave sign felix and a good prospect and rw and move pulisic to Lw. Felix has improved last 3 games and yes that doesnt prove his worth especially sending us out of UCL with others but yea
Ya no, pay far less for a much better winger who actually knows what end product is
What a beautiful kits they have. Excited for the whole season. They are way better than the current ones, which I personally found the worst since the kits where we had the other logo, like 2017 or something.
yeah the kits are 1-0
Club badge looks horrible but sure the rest looks more closely to how an AC Milan shirt should look like but preferably with stripes all the way around the fabric.
The real question though will they actually sell many or other merchandise, maybe not so much as in recent years as a lot of fans will keep protesting against this ownership and rightfully so.
Yeah it not as good as the original badge, but still way more better than the banter era badge (the red cross on the white crest), I hated that one 😀 So this one is ok for me, designers are experimenting, and this is not the worst creation.
Experimenting too much for my taste, the 1rst shirt isn’t up for much experimenting in my view and the red cross is the saint george cross which has been since the start of the clubs history and is the coat of arms for the city of Milan. My biggest gripe with using it back then was the sizing of it and the same goes for the recently used devil badge that also was a hint to the past.
Shirt wise its ok but prefer the looks of the shirts of the late 1980ies and 90ies.
Yep, exactly that was the problem, the size. Hopefully the away kit wont be similar
So much natural in our traditional 4231 on the 2nd half.
10 and 85 min. Nice game Gg
Felix deserves to stay!
One word for the game: calmness
In two word: high calmness
He’s been one of our worst signings in recent memory lol. No he should not stay at all. Get your head together
Looked bad in the first half, a lot better in the second.