Inter-Milan 0-1
GOALS: 9′ st Pulisic.
INTER (3-5-2): Sommer 5.5; Akanji 5.5, Acerbi 6 (40′ st Esposito sv), Bastoni 6; C. Augusto 5, Barella 5.5 (40′ st Diouf sv), Calhanoglu 5 (33′ st Zielinski sv), Sucic 5.5, Dimarco 6; Thuram 6.5, L. Martínez 5 (21′ st Bonny 5.5). On the bench: Calligaris, J. Martínez, Alexiou, Bisseck, Cocchi, De Vrij, Frattesi, L. Henrique. Coach: Chivu 5.5.
MILAN (3-5-2): Maignan 8; Tomori 6.5, Gabbia 7, Pavlovic 5.5; Saelemaekers 6.5, Fofana 6.5 (33′ st Ricci sv), Modric 7, Rabiot 6.5, Bartesaghi 6.5; Pulisic 7.5 (33′ st Nkunku sv), Leao 6 (41′ st Loftus-Cheek sv). On the bench: Pittarella, Terracciano, De Winter, Estupiñan, Odogu, Jashari. Coach: Allegri 6.5
REFEREE: Sozza di Seregno 5.5
NOTES: overcast skies, pitch in good condition. Maignan saves a penalty from Calhanoglu in the 29th minute. Booked: Leao, Calhanoglu, Pavlovic. Corners 10-1. Recovery 3′ st, 5′ st.
The sky above Milan is once again tinged with red and black: the derby belongs to Milan, Inter licks the wounds of yet another missed opportunity. A flash from Pulisic in the second half was enough for the Rossoneri to get the better of their Nerazzurri cousins, who hit two posts and wasted the equalizer with Calhanoglu who missed another heavy penalty and was hypnotized by Maignan. A goalkeeper who saves and an attacker who scores, one might say using a well-known football saying, Allegri’s team thus moves to -2 behind the solitary leaders Roma, while Chivu’s men have to question themselves for the third direct clash lost out of four, of which two were played at home. Furthermore, the streak without success in the derby extends to six and you have to go back to the period between 2002 and 2005 to find an equally long one. In a packed San Siro (with revenue of 8.6 million euros, a record for Serie A) despite the extreme cold, Inter started forward, a header from Thuram after three minutes immediately warmed up the gloves of Maignan who responded presently.
The Inter pressure, however, leads to little or nothing, in fact it is the Rossoneri who show up with a left-footed shot from Bartesaghi which goes wide. An opportunity which, however, increases the confidence in Allegri’s men, who try to show themselves with greater conviction in the Inter half of the pitch. Inter tries to break the deadlock with one of their best weapons, free kicks, and Acerbi comes close to taking the lead with a header from a corner that hits the post. The Nerazzurri then try to rely on Lautaro, but on his right-foot volley served by Thuram, Maignan’s response is superb and with a great reflex he saves himself also with the help of the post, the second for Inter. Milan responds with a right-footed shot from Pulisic from the edge that whizzes past the woodwork to Sommer’s left. In the second half the script did not change, with the Nerazzurri immediately trying to challenge Maignan with a right-footed shot from Thuram that was too central. But at the first opportunity it was Milan who broke the deadlock: Saelemaekers flew in, a right-footed shot blocked short by Sommer and Pulisic put the Rossoneri ahead from two steps with the goal unguarded. Inter tries to react, a drumming action leads Bastoni to kick high from a good position. The match uncorks and the pace increases, because the Nerazzurri raise their center of gravity and Milan have a potentially dangerous counterattack with every ball recovered. Chivu tries to give his team a further shock, even removing Lautaro Martinez to insert Bonny. But Allegri’s team is still seen in Sommer’s area, with a right-footed shot from Fofana which the Swiss doesn’t make a mistake this time. The match could change shortly after, when a stomp from Pavlovic on Thuram leads Sozza, after a VAR review, to award a penalty to Inter: the former Calhanoglu goes from the spot, but is hypnotized by Maignan. The Nerazzurri continue to push, Akanji from two steps away from a corner fails to find the right deflection. From the bench Chivu looks for another move, switching to the trident with Bonny, Esposito and Thuram in a 4-3-3, while Allegri covers himself by removing Leao to reinforce the midfield with Loftus-Cheek. The right ball seems to fall to Bonny, but the Frenchman shoots badly from the edge. But it is the last chance: the derby still belongs to Milan who are dreaming ever bigger.