The wait is over. Derby day finished with what we all wanted: an AC Milan victory. And what a way to win it! With one minute of normal time to go, the winner was scored by one of our own, a kid who came through the ranks of our youth sector. Matteo Gabbia rising highest in the box will live long in the memory and, more immediately, saw the Rossoneri take all three points at San Siro. After Pulisic's opener had been pegged back by Dimarco, Fonseca's side responded to every Inter action, all the while creating chances of their own, especially in the second half. It was a matter of inches - or rather the saves of Sommer in the Inter goal - before the 'away' supporters erupted with joy after our number 46 headed home.
The exact value of this win is incalculable, though it's only matchday 5 and there remains a long way to go this season. After a tough start to the week, we needed this result and the players put in a brave performance in a new-look system: Morata and Abraham formed a strike partnership with Pulisic and Leão out wide. The team, most of all, showed a complete and total desire to get these three points. Praise has to go to the entire team, from tonight's goalscorers to a few players who put in brilliant individual displays, such as Maignan, Reijnders and Abraham; though this is a win that belongs to the entire team, this family. The day of three derbies ended with two wins - the other belonging to the Primavera - and a battling draw from the Rossonere. These results and emotions will give us renewed confidence for the future, starting with AC Milan v Lecce on Friday. Forza Milan!
Match Report
After a minute's silence for Totò Schillaci, the game began with us getting the first chance of the evening: in the 6th minute, Pulisic's run down the middle ended with Sommer stopping Morata's shot. The US international was putting in an inspired performance and worked some solo magic in the 10th minute to bag the well-deserved opener: Mkhitaryan dispossessed from 40 meters out, Chris beat two men to fire past the opposition keeper. After making it 1-0, AC Milan kept hold of the ball and gave little away to Inter. The hosts, however, went level in the 27th minute through Dimarco. The game was high intensity and chances were flying in at both ends. In the 42nd minute, Thuram tried a turning shot, but Maignan put his excellent reflexes to work and kept him out in the last chance of the first 45.
No time wasted as things got underway in the second half: Emerson Royal crossed for Leão, who was kept out by a stretching Sommer. Little action until the 60th minute, when a nice AC Milan restart saw an interesting cross from the Rossoneri number 22, though no one could get on the end of it. At the other end, Gabbia put in a great challenge to stop Dimarco who was through on goal. We grew in courage and attacking spirit and in the 64th minute, Reijnders forced Sommer into a difficult save, his shot having taken a deflection, whilst in the 68th minute it was Morata to shoot high from the edge of the box. Maignan did brilliantly on Lautaro in the 72nd minute, whilst Leão had a shot saved in the 75th minute following a good Rossoneri counter. Good work from the E. Royal-Reijnders-Abraham trio in the 78th minute, but Tammy's shot flew just wide of the back post. Our work came to fruition in the 89th minute: Reijnders free-kick, excellent move from Gabbia to make it 2-1! Okafor just missed out on putting it to bed in the 6th minute of injury time, but it didn't change much, we walked away victorious!
Gabbia's Late Winner Sends Milan Fans Wild
Gabbia's goal was a crucial moment in the match, sparking wild celebrations among the AC Milan fans. The young defender rose highest to head home Tijjani Reijnders' free kick in the 89th minute, giving his side a crucial win and ending their derby hoodoo.
This victory was a massive boost for AC Milan after a difficult start to the season. They had won just once in their previous five matches across all competitions, leading to calls for a change in management. However, the win over Inter showed that there is still plenty of fight in the team. Paolo Fonseca's side will be looking to build on this momentum as they head into the next round of Serie A matches.
Reaction to the Win
After the match, both managers had their say on the game. Fonseca was full of praise for his team's performance, saying they deserved to win after creating many chances. He highlighted the courage they displayed against a tough Inter side.
“They played with a lot of courage today and I think we deserved to win, I can’t remember another team that have created so many problems for Inter like we did today,” said Fonseca to DAZN.
Inzaghi, on the other hand, was critical of his team's performance, admitting that they were not a team and that Milan were the better side on the night.
“They were the better team tonight, we didn’t play as a team and that’s not something you can usually say about us,” said Inzaghi.
A Look Back at the Match
The match itself was a tense and entertaining affair, with both sides having chances to score. However, it was Milan who ultimately came out on top thanks to a late goal from Gabbia.
Christian Pulisic put AC Milan ahead in the 10th minute with a superb solo effort. The American forward skillfully navigated through Inter's defence and fired a precise shot past goalkeeper Yann Sommer. However, Inter found a response just before the half-hour mark when Federico Dimarco levelled the score with a powerful strike.
Both Inter's Sommer and Milan's Mike Maignan made crucial saves throughout the match until Gabbia snatched the winner. The Swiss goalkeeper pulled off a sensational save to stop Rafael Leao heading Milan ahead seconds after the restart, and dived low to keep out Reijnders 20 minutes later.
What Next for AC Milan?
This win will give AC Milan a much-needed confidence boost as they look to climb the Serie A table. Their next game is against Lecce on Friday, and they will be hoping to carry their momentum from the derby into this fixture.
This victory was a major step forward for the Rossoneri, who will now be aiming to build on this momentum as they head into the rest of the season. They will be hoping to challenge for a place in the Champions League spots and will also be aiming to go deep in the Coppa Italia. The future looks bright for AC Milan, who have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with despite their difficult start to the season.
A Moment of Magic
With this victory, AC Milan have broken their derby hoodoo. They hadn't won a derby against Inter since 1999 when George Weah scored a late winner. This win shows that the Rossoneri are back on track and ready to challenge for silverware this season.
