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A fierce derby in the heart of Milan was on display late Sunday evening, with Inter Milan clawing their way back from a goal down to secure a hard-fought 1-1 draw against AC Milan. The San Siro was abuzz, with the electric atmosphere fueling the intensity of the encounter.
Tijjani Reijnders’ strike on the cusp of halftime had given Milan the upper hand, but Inter’s dauntless pursuit of an equalizer finally bore fruit in added time, courtesy of Stefan de Vrij’s clinical finish. The draw kept Inter second in the Serie A standings, two points adrift of leaders Napoli, while Milan remained eighth.
The match was yet another edition of the lifelong enduring rivalry between these two Milanese giants. Inter had started brightly, with Lautaro Martinez’s early effort ruled out for offside. Mike Maignan, Milan’s goalkeeper, was called into action to deny Martinez again, while Rafael Leao’s penalty appeals were waved away after he was adjudged offside.
As the first half drew to a close, Milan seized the initiative, Reijnders’ 11th goal of the season handing them a slender lead. The Dutchman’s emphatic finish capped off a swift counterattack, which began with Theo Hernandez carrying the ball forward and feeding Leao, whose square ball was parried to Reijnders’ feet. The finish was applied emphatically, leaving Inter to lament their missed opportunities.
The second half saw Inter push hard for an equalizer, with Martinez and Nicolo Barella testing Maignan’s resolve. Milan, however, remained a threat on the break, Reijnders and Christian Pulisic both coming close to doubling their tally. Reijnders perhaps could have doubled his tally when the ball was won back in midfield and fed to Pulisic, who released the Dutchman, only for him to whip a first-time effort straight into the arms of Yann Sommer.
As the match entered its final stages, Inter’s pressure began to tell. Substitute Bissek’s header crashed off the woodwork, while Marcus Thuram’s volley rebounded off the base of the post. With time running out, Inter’s persistence finally yielded result, De Vrij firing home from close range to send the Nerazzurri faithful into wild roars.
The equalizer came in the third minute of stoppage time, after Jimenez gave the ball away when trying to clear, allowing Barella to cross for Zalewski, whose chest laid it on a plate for De Vrij. The Dutch defender fired in from close range, securing a hard-earned point for Inter.
The draw was a fair reflection of the balance of play, with both teams creating chances and neither able to assert their dominance. For Inter, the point kept their title hopes alive, while Milan’s eighth-place standing in the Serie A table remains a concern. The rivalry between these two Milanese powerhouses will continue to linger, until the next installment of this enduring derby.
