AC Milan vs. Chelsea: Score and Reaction from 2016 ICC

Chelsea closed out its International Champions Cup slate Wednesday evening with a 3-1 win over AC Milan at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. 

Oscar, who came on as a substitute in the 59th minute, nabbed a brace in the triumph, while Bertrand Traore set the tone for the Blues with the game's opening goal following a strong opening statement by the Italian side. 

AC Milan applied pressure immediately to start the contest, and it was Ignazio Abate who made his presence felt with a blistering shot on net that was saved by a sprawling Thibaut Courtois to avoid a disastrous opening sequence. 

Milan continued to press into the attacking third throughout the game's first 20 minutes, and it nearly struck gold when Luiz Adriano played a beautiful ball to M'Baye Niang up the left-hand side. However, Niang was unable to slot his shot past Chelsea's Belgian keeper and record the game's first tally.

And while Milan looked like the sharper side early, the Blues countered and found twine in the 24th minute thanks to Traore. 

After Victor Moses' strike on goal was saved thanks to the quick reflexes of Milan keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Traore was there to knock the ball into the back of the net and capitalize on Chelsea's fierce attack to give the Premier League squad a 1-0 lead. 

However, Milan didn't trail for long. 

After the Italian side drew a free kick in a dangerous area, Giacomo Bonaventura knotted the score at one goal apiece thanks to a gorgeous free kick that curled into the left side of the net past the outstretched arms of Courtois, as Chelsea's official Twitter account noted:  

It was clipped over the wall very well. Courtois had no chance. 38 minutes played. #CFCTour

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 4, 2016

Elsewhere, Diego Costa drew his first start of the preseason for Chelsea after nursing a minor back injury, and the 27-year-old cause problems for Milan's defense as he used his physicality to clear out space and earn chances for the Blues. 

In fact, Costa earned three free kicks within the game's first 30 minutes—two of which came in the attacking half.

The frenzied first frame set the stage for a dramatic finish, and Chelsea was presented with a golden opportunity to jump ahead when Cesar Azpilicueta's cross into the box was handled by a Milan defender.

Following the official call, Oscar calmly stepped up to the spot and delivered a go-ahead goal to thrust Chelsea in front for good with just 20 minutes remaining. And with time dwindling, the Brazilian star punctuated a superlative effort with a second tally from close range, courtesy of Juan Cuadrado in the 87th minute for good measure.  

The win represented a bounce-back showing of sorts for Antonio Conte's side, which fell to Real Madrid, 3-2, in its second International Champions Cup contest. Milan, meanwhile, dropped its final two ICC games after Liverpool handed it a 2-0 defeat in Santa Clara, California. 

However, there were plenty of positives for both sides to take away from the preseason tournament as they begin to ramp up preparations for the start of their respective regular seasons. 

Milan is slated to open Serie A play on Aug. 21 against Torino, while Chelsea will embark on a quest to capture Premier League glory when it clashes with West Ham United on Aug. 15.

Postgame Reaction

Conte only held a brief meeting with reporters after the win, but he did reflect on Oscar's two-goal display as the night wrapped up. 

"I think [he] is a good player with great talent and he can improve a lot," he said, per the team's official Twitter account. "I see a good attitude and a good will."

Conte also explained that his final squad is coming into view with the end of the summer transfer window and the start of a new campaign on the horizon. 

"I think this match told me a lot - about the players who keep and who can go on loan or we can sell," Conte added, according to the team's Twitter account. 

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