TWO COMEBACK KINGS

The Supercoppa Italiana 2025 semi-final between Napoli and AC Milan, played on 18 December 2025 in Saudi Arabia, was won largely by Rasmus Højlund, who proved too much for Rossoneri defender Koni De Winter, beating him in both decisive moments: first by setting up the tap-in for David Neres, and then by holding off De Winter near the line before scoring from a tight angle to seal the match. Recovering from moments like that is not easy, but De Winter had to respond - to turn a corner, put everything behind him and prove himself. And that is exactly what happened. After a challenging December, including the match against Sassuolo, De Winter delivered a string of positive performances in 2026, operating across all three defensive roles. Today, Koni returns from his international duty with Belgium, while Højlund comes back after missing a penalty for Denmark in the World Cup play-offs.

Another figure looking for a chance to prove himself has been Santiago Gimenez, who missed a penalty during Napoli v AC Milan on 30 March 2025. The Mexican striker had the chance to reduce the deficit in the 69', with Napoli leading 2-0, but his effort was saved by Alex Meret. The miss sparked debate, as Gimenez had been chosen ahead of Christian Pulisic to take the spot kick. Despite Jović later scoring - with Gimenez nearby - to make it 2-1, AC Milan were unable to complete the comeback. Today, Gimenez returned to full training with AC Milan after a four-month-long spell on the sidelines following surgery on his right ankle in December 2025. The striker is now in excellent condition, both mentally and physically. 

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