A match compromised in ten minutes, a reaction left halfway, and a heavy defeat to digest. At San Siro it ends 3-1 for Milan, who win the derby leaving Inter with many questions to answer.
The evening immediately becomes an uphill battle for the Nerazzurri. Chivu surprised everyone by opting for a 3-4-2-1 instead of the usual 3-5-2, with Diouf and Sucic deployed behind Thuram — the only point of reference in attack given the absence of Lautaro Martinez. However, the change in formation does not produce the desired effects: in the 4th minute Pulisic puts the Rossoneri ahead, and in the 10th minute Rabiot doubles the lead from a corner. Two goals in ten minutes force Inter to chase from the very start.
Chivu’s team, however, finds the resources not to mentally exit the match. In the 21st minute Bastoni reopens the derby with a header from a Calhanoglu corner, set up by a flick from Akanji. The Nerazzurri raise the tempo, increase the pressure, and Maignan is forced into a decisive save on Spence. However, Inter’s best moment lasts only a short while: in the 43rd minute Moreira makes it 3-1 from distance with a free kick that beats Martinez.
In the second half, Inter try to get back into the game. A penalty is awarded for an alleged handball by Gila in the box, but the images clearly show the contact was with his chest. Chivu’s substitutions — bringing on Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Esposito, Bonny, and Dimarco — fail to change the momentum of the match. Milan manage their two-goal advantage, the spaces close up, and the comeback remains an unfinished attempt.
The final 3-1 weighs not only for the result, but above all for how the match slipped away: defensive fragility in the opening minutes, a reaction without continuity, and the opponents’ greater effectiveness at key moments. Chivu and his staff will have to carefully analyze this evening, to prevent the consequences from affecting the upcoming fixtures.
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