AC Milan vs Inter Milan 2011: Results and Updates for Italian Super Cup Final

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AC Milan defeated their inner-city rivals Inter Milan 2-1 in the Italian Super Cup final Saturday in Beijing.

Milan scored two second-half goals to come from behind and get the victory over their bitter rivals after they ended Inter's five-year reign at the top of the Serie A in May.

Though the season does not officially kick off for three weeks, both sides were certainly raring to go for this match, which was held in Beijing's Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium due to a prior agreement between the Italian league and Chinese government.

It was an exciting match throughout and certainly left fans hoping a strike in Italian football can be avoided.

Inter dominated the early stages of the match, and Manchester United and Manchester City target Wesley Sneijder fired Inter ahead with a superb free kick in the 22nd minute.

Milan's Genarro Gattuso was lucky not to see a red card for his challenge, though his tenacity surely showed that neither team was looking at this as a preseason match.

Inter continued its dominance after the break, but in the 60th minute, former Inter Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed in the equalizer for Milan, and the tide turned. Nine minutes later, Kevin-Prince Boateng scored what would be the winner.

It's a poor start to the season for Inter under new manager Gian Piero Gasperini, who replaced former Milan coach Leonardo this summer.

It's Milan's fist Super Cup victory since 2004, and they're certainly looking to build on their strong performances from last season.

The future of Sneijder is still up in the air for Inter, but both teams showed plenty of promise for the coming season.

AC Milan will certainly be looking to make it two Scudettos in a row, while Inter will be hoping to avoid a repeat of their season start from last year.

Check out Bleacher Report's World Football Page for all up-to-date news and analysis.

4:38 PM ET

AC Milan vs Inter Milan 2011: What Italian Super Cup Loss Means for Inter

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Inter Milan lost to crosstown rivals AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup Saturday despite taking the lead in the 22nd minute.

In-demand midfielder Wesley Sneijder fired him team in front with a great free kick after a hard foul from Gennaro Gattuso, who was lucky to remain on the pitch afterwards.

Inter controlled the game for much of the first half and early in the second until their former star Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled Milan level with a header in the 60th minute. Kevin-Prince Boateng scored the winner nine minutes later.

New Inter manager Gian Piero Gasperini used a rarely seen three-man back line, and Milan eventually became accustomed to it and got around it more as the game wore on, so it remains to be seen if that is something the manager will continue to use when the season really gets going.

Inter had got off to a slow start last year, and manager Rafa Benitez was fired in December with the club in seventh place in the table, 13 points behind Milan.

Former Milan coach Leonardo had an immediate impact when he came in in January and eventually pulled Inter up to a second-place finish and the Coppa Italia victory.

However, Leonardo left this summer to be the director of football for newly wealthy Paris Saint-Germain.

Gasperini has come in and will be hoping to avoid the start Benitez had. Though he has lost his first match, his most important take in the coming month is still to retain the services of Wesley Sneijder.

The influential Dutch midfielder was instrumental to Inter's historic, Treble-winning 2009-2010 season, and he will be needed this year if Inter want to reclaim their Serie A crown, among other trophies.

With Manchester United and Manchester City both interested in Sneijder, Gasperini has his work cut out for him to keep him, but it's crucial that he does.

It would be an even bigger ask to usurp Milan at the top without Sneijder.

Check out Bleacher Report's World Football Page for all up-to-date news and analysis.

-Neri Stein