AC Milan triumphed over their arch-rivals Inter in a thrilling Serie A clash, thanks to a winner from American star Christian Pulisic. The victory propelled AC Milan into second place on the league table, just two points behind leaders AS Roma. Inter, who could have gone 2nd, remain 4th, a point behind their rivals Milan and Napoli.
Pulisic settles the contest; Maignan stops penalty
The match was tightly contested with both teams having their chances but it was Pulisic’s moment of brilliance that sealed the deal for the Rossoneri.
The first half of the Milan derby was relatively quiet, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. However, Pulisic broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute by taking advantage of a mistake from Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. The American international pounced on a loose ball after an Alexis Saelemaekers shot was spilled by Sommer and slotted it home from close range, giving AC Milan a much-needed lead.
With 17 minutes left on the clock, Inter were handed a golden opportunity to equalize when Strahinja Pavlovic was penalised for a foul on Marcus Thuram after a VAR review. Hakan Calhanoglu, former AC Milan player, stepped up to take the penalty but French goalkeeper Mike Maignan came up big with a strong hand save. This kept AC Milan in front and ensured they maintained their lead until the end of the match.
A look at the points table as Milan go 2nd
Milan, who are unbeaten in 11 Serie A games since losing on Matchday 1, own 25 points. They are behind Roma, who have collected 27 points. Milan have scored 18 goals and conceded 9. Napoli also owns 25 points but are behind Milan on goal difference. A defeat for Inter saw them remain on 24 points after 12 matchdays.
Pulisic becomes joint-top scorer this season
Pulisic is now the joint-top scorer this season in Serie A alongside Inter’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini. The former Chelsea player has featured in 8 matches. He also owns 2 assists.
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