In a stunning turn of events, AC Milan ended their six-game Derby della Madonnina losing streak with a dramatic 2-1 victory over rivals Inter. The win, secured by goals from Christian Pulisic and a last-minute header from Matteo Gabbia, has provided a much-needed boost to Paulo Fonseca’s side and likely secured the manager’s position.
The Rossoneri entered the match in a precarious situation, having won only one of their last five games and suffering a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League earlier in the week. Despite injury concerns, Milan adopted a 4-4-2 formation, with Tammy Abraham and Alvaro Morata leading the attack.
The game began with both sides creating chances, but it was Pulisic who broke the deadlock. The American midfielder capitalized on a mistake by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, driving forward through the Inter defense before slotting past Yann Sommer.
Inter equalized before the half-hour mark through Federico Dimarco, who finished off a well-worked move involving Nicolò Barella and Lautaro Martinez. The Nerazzurri nearly took the lead just before halftime, but Mike Maignan produced a fantastic save to deny Marcus Thuram.
The second half saw both teams trading opportunities, with VAR intervening to overturn a penalty decision in Milan’s favor. As the match seemed destined for a draw, Matteo Gabbia, who had been solid in defense throughout, rose highest to meet a Tijjani Reijnders free-kick and power a header into the net in the closing minutes.
This victory marks Milan’s first derby win since September 2022 and provides a significant morale boost for the team and their under-pressure manager. The result also tightens the race at the top of Serie A, injecting new life into Milan’s campaign.
Goals: Pulisic 10 (M), Dimarco 28 (I), Gabbia 89 (M)
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni (82′ Carlos Augusto); Dumfries (63′ Darmian), Barella (74′ Zielinski), Calhanoglu (63′ Asllani), Mkhitaryan (63′ Frattesi), Dimarco; Thuram, Lautaro Martinez
Milan (4-4-2): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Tomori, Gabbia, Theo Hernandez; Pulisic (78′ Okafor), Fofana, Reijnders, Leao (87′ Chukwueze); Morata (78′ Loftus-Cheek), Abraham (90’+2 Pavlovic)
