AC Milan beats Inter 2-1 to win Italian Super Cup

BEIJING (AP) — AC Milan won a record sixth Italian Super Cup after coming from behind to beat city rival Inter Milan 2-1 in a hard-fought derby at Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing on Saturday.

Inter led at halftime after Wesley Sneijder curled a free kick over the wall and the ball ricocheted in off the crossbar. The free kick came after a foul by combative Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.

Milan's first goal came after Clarence Seedorf chested down a cross near the touch line, then knocked it back in for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to send a diving header into the net.

Ibrahimovic also hit the post with a header against his former club in the first half.

The equalizer was quickly followed by Milan forward Alexandre Pato running onto a through ball. His shot hit the post, but Kevin-Prince Boateng slid to knock in the rebound.

Boateng celebrated with a spinning kung fu kick that delighted the cheering crowds packed into the Olympic stadium. The venue has proved an unlucky one for Inter, which played in the same fixture at the same place two years ago and lost 2-1 to Lazio.

The victory moved Milan one Italian Super Cup clear of Inter and two in front of Juventus.

The Super Cup is the traditional curtain raiser for the Italian season, played between the previous season's Serie A winners (Milan) and Italian Cup victors (Inter).

Three of the next four Italian Super Cups will be played in China to help promote Italian football in Asia.