Football can be a cruel teacher. One minute you're walking out onto the grass at HBF Park under the bright Perth lights, feeling the energy of 19,226 fans, and the next, you're picking the ball out of your net for the ninth time. Honestly, the Perth Glory vs Milan friendly on July 31, 2025, wasn't just a match; it was a brutal masterclass in the staggering gulf between the A-League and the top flight of European football.
People expected a gap. They didn't necessarily expect a chasm.
When Massimiliano Allegri brought his Rossoneri squad to Western Australia, there was a buzz that only a club with seven Champions League trophies can generate. Even without the newly signed Luka Modric, who was resting after a long stint with Real Madrid at the Club World Cup, the lineup was terrifying. We’re talking about Mike Maignan in goal, Fikayo Tomori commanding the back, and the sheer pace of Rafael Leão. For a Perth Glory side still finding its feet under David Zdrilic, it was always going to be a tall order. But 9-0? That's the kind of scoreline that lingers in the memory for all the wrong reasons if you’re a Glory fan.
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The Night the Rossoneri Ran Wild
It took exactly three minutes for the wheels to start wobbling. Filippo Terracciano poked home the opener before most of the crowd had even finished their first pie. You could almost feel the collective "oh boy" from the Perth faithful. Milan didn't just play better; they looked like they were playing a different sport. Their "physical profile," as Zdrilic later called it, was basically on another planet compared to the local lads.
Noah Okafor turned the screw with a four-minute brace midway through the first half. Then came a penalty from 16-year-old prodigy Christian Comotto and a thunderous strike from Samuel Chukwueze. By the time the halftime whistle blew, it was 5-0.
Half-Time: The Brutal Statistics
- Score: Perth Glory 0 - 5 AC Milan
- Possession: Milan 75% | Glory 25%
- Milan Scorers: Terracciano (3'), Okafor (23', 27'), Comotto (29' pen), Chukwueze (31')
The second half somehow managed to be even more demoralizing for the hosts. Allegri swapped his entire XI at the break. Fresh legs are a nightmare when you're already five goals down. Rafael Leão, arguably the biggest star on the pitch, took all of 13 seconds—literally—to score after coming on. He just ghosted through and finished. It was clinical. It was ruthless. It was Milan.
Why Perth Glory vs Milan Still Matters for the A-League
You might think a 9-0 drubbing is purely a negative, but there’s a nuance here that gets lost in the headlines. Zdrilic was surprisingly upbeat after the game. He called it a "great learning experience." And look, he's kinda right. The Glory had played 120 grueling minutes against Wellington Phoenix in the Australia Cup just four days prior. They were leg-heavy and exhausted.
Coming up against the "slickness" of Milan showed the younger players exactly where the ceiling is.
Glory actually had a couple of flashes. Arion Sulemani and Adam Taggart linked up well a few times, and late in the game, Joel Anasmo and Nathanael Blair both had clear-vein-of-gold chances to grab a consolation goal. But Pietro Terracciano—the other Terracciano in goal for Milan—wasn't having it. He made a couple of sprawling saves that kept the clean sheet intact.
The Final Damage
- Rafael Leão: Bagged a second-half double (46', 85').
- Samuele Ricci: A top-corner rocket in the 58th minute.
- Yunus Musah: Finished the scoring in the 80th minute.
- Final Score: 0-9.
The attendance of 19,226 was a "bumper crowd" for HBF Park, especially following Milan's massive game against Roma at Optus Stadium the year before. Perth is becoming a bit of a home away from home for the Italian giants. There’s even talk of them returning in early 2026 for a Serie A match against Como while the San Siro is being used for the Winter Olympics.
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The Reality Check
Is this result a disaster? If you look at the "Perth Glory vs Milan" result in isolation, it looks like a horror show. And yeah, for the fans who paid good money to see a contest, 9-0 is a bit of a slap in the face. But for the development of Western Australian football, these games are the only way to bridge the gap. You can't learn how to defend against a guy like Leão by watching him on TV; you have to feel how fast he actually is on the pitch.
The Rossoneri treated the game with respect by actually trying. Allegri didn't let his team take their foot off the gas. That’s the real compliment. They didn't do the "exhibition trot." They played Milan football.
If you’re looking for the silver lining, look at the debuts of Brian Kaltak and Mark Birighitti. They got a baptism of fire that will make the regular A-League season feel like a walk in the park.
Key Lessons for Local Fans
- Don't overreact to friendlies: The fitness gap between a team mid-tour and a team four days post-120-minute-cup-tie is massive.
- Appreciate the stars: Seeing Leão or Pulisic in person is a rare treat in WA, even if they're scoring against your team.
- Watch the youth: Players like Mattia Liberali showed that the next generation of Milan is just as scary as the current one.
Moving forward, Perth fans should keep an eye on the 2026 schedule. With the state government pushing hard for more high-profile Italian fixtures, that 9-0 scoreline might just be the painful first chapter in a much longer relationship between the City of Light and the Rossoneri. If you want to see how Glory bounces back, keep tabs on their Australia Cup progress—it's usually where they find their grit after a big loss.