Inter Milan 1-2 AC Milan Player Ratings as Matteo Gabbia’s late winner takes pressure off Paulo Fonseca

A frenetic Milan derby between Inter Milan and AC Milan ended in a 2-1 win to the men in red and black, a result that helped alleviate the pressure on Paulo Fonseca. The Rossoneri made a bright start and were ahead after 10 minutes courtesy of an excellent goal from the lively Christian Pulisic.

Inter tried getting themselves back into the game as the first half wore on, with Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram spurning opportunities at Mike Maignan’s goal. Their left-back Federico Dimarco would draw them level with a fierce effort that gave Maignan no chance in the 27th minute.

The arch-rivals produced an end-to-end second half, with Tammy Abraham going close for Fonseca’s side. The Nerazzurri thought they’d won a penalty in the 65th minute when Martinez appeared to handle the ball in the box. VAR intervened and overturned the referee’s decision.

Matteo Gabbia grabbed a late winner in the 89th minute with a sensational header that will go down in the Milan derby history books. It was a deserved win for the away side, given their first-half showing, and they moved up to seventh in the table while Inter sat sixth.

Inter Player Ratings vs Milan

Goalkeeper

Yann Sommer: 8/10

A solid showing from the Swiss goalkeeper, who ensured his side came away with a point, making six saves at the San Siro. He’s proven to be an excellent signing to replace Andre Onana.

Defenders

Denzel Dumfries: 7/10

The Dutch wing-back’s energy was useful for Inter Milan. With one key pass, he helped his side in transition. He wasn’t the most reliable defensively, but he did his job.

Benjamin Pavard: 5.5/10

The Frenchman was poor tonight, and questions have to be asked about his role in the Inter team, given his defensive vulnerabilities.

Francesco Acerbi: 6.5/10

The veteran defender did his job for the most part but struggled to deal with a pacey AC Milan attack that gave him issues throughout.

Alessandro Bastoni: 7/10

The Italian was brilliant at the back for Inter and was surprisingly brought off with a few minutes left of the derby. It was during his absence when Gabbia struck the winner, perhaps a bad call from Simone Inzaghi.

Federico Dimarco: 7/10

A superb equalizer from the left-back who put in a fine shift all night with energy and attacking intent. He was also strong in the tackle and constantly looked to link up with his supporting acts.

Midfielders

Nicolo Barella: 6.5/10

The Italian midfield maestro was disappointing by his usual standards, unable to unlock a resolute Milan defense. He faded out of the game and his slick playmaking abilities were lacking.

Hakan Calhanoglu: 6/10

The Turkish midfielder did nothing flashy but battled hard in the middle of the park against his former side. His set piece threat was somewhat not at its usual standards.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan: 5.5/10

The veteran midfielder was rarely involved in the game and there are question marks over his starting role. The Armenian came off in the second half as he was on a yellow.

Attackers

Marcus Thuram: 5/10

The French striker ghosted during the Milan derby and his quiet night was problematic for Inzaghi as it meant his side lacked in attack.

Lautaro Martinez: 6.5/10

He was the better of the two Inter forwards, and he linked up superbly with Dimarco for the equaliser. The Argentine forward provided the assist and also made three key passes.

Substitutes

Matteo Darmian – 5

Carlos Augusto – 6

Piotr Zielinski – 6

Davide Frattesi – 6

Kristjan Asllani – 6.5

Also Read: Manchester City vs Arsenal (Premier League) Player Ratings (22/09/2024)

Milan Player Ratings vs Inter

Goalkeeper

Mike Maignan: 7.5/10

The French goalkeeper was excellent for Milan as he has been throughout his time in Serie A. He’s arguably the best goalkeeper in the Italian top flight and made crucial saves tonight. One stop was particularly impressive to keep Thuram at bay on the stroke of half time.

Defenders

Emerson Royal: 6.5/10

It was a solid showing from the former Tottenham Hotspur right-back, who tried offering a threat on the right while defending soundly.

Fikayo Tomori: 6.5/10

The English defender forged a fine partnership with Gabbia but was outshone by his defensive cohort. He defended well but had moments where he didn’t look the most comfortable.

Matteo Gabbia: 8/10

The Italian centre-back was the matchwinner with a header to savour that gets his side back on track amid a concerning run. He was confident and brave throughout.

Theo Hernandez: 6.5/10

The French full-back offered width and put out fires during the frenetic Milan derby. He used his experience to deal with the likes of Thuram and Martinez.

Midfielders

Tijani Reijnders: 8.5/10

Delivered the cross that led to Gabbia’s winner and was a calming presence in midfield at the San Siro. The Dutch midfielder conducted his side with neat passes and a dazzling display that makes him the worthy man of the match.

Youssouf Fofana: 6.5/10

The holding midfielder came in and out of the game but kept things ticking alongside the excellent Reijnders.

Attackers

Christian Pulisic: 8/10

The American attacker is in fine form and he was a standout performer during the Milan derby. He took his goal with aplomb and was a constant threat on the right flank.

Alvaro Morata: 6.5

The Spaniard wasn’t too lively but used his experience to help his team break forward and exploit spaces in Inter’s defence.

Rafael Leao: 6/10

A somewhat lackluster showing by the usually exciting Portuguese attacker but it didn’t matter as AC Milan dug deep to win late on.

Tammy Abraham: 7/10

The English striker was quite wasteful in front of goal, but Sommer’s impressive performance played its part. He struggled to win aerial and ground duels but put in a shift.

Substitutes

Strahinhja Pavlovic – N/A

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 6.5

Noah Okafor – 6

Samuel Chukwueze – 6

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