Stefan de Vrij saves a crucial point for Inter in thrilling Milan derby clash

The 182nd Serie A Derby della Madonnina delivered thrilling moments right to the final whistle, as Stefan de Vrij (32) levelled the score in the 93rd minute, securing a draw for Inter Milan against AC Milan and preventing back-to-back losses in their head-to-head clashes.

The match began with both sides showcasing an attacking spirit, desperately vying for victory. Federico Dimarco found the back of Mike Maignan’s net within the first seven minutes, but the goal was disallowed after Lautaro Martinez was deemed to be offside before laying it off to him.

Christian Pulisic’s attempt was deflected behind, while Nicolo Barella had his shot saved, leading to a phase where both teams displayed positive and composed play met with solid defensive work.

As the match neared the half-hour mark, Inter started to seize control, although Martinez faced a series of frustrating moments in front of goal. He missed a header from Hakan Calhanoglu’s cross, had another goal disallowed for offside against Barella, was denied a corner following a deflected effort, and then sent a shot off-target.

AC Milan soon posed a threat as well, with Tijjani Reijnders’ effort demanding a spectacular save, followed by Benjamin Pavard making a crucial tackle to prevent Rafael Leao from connecting with the Dutchman’s incisive pass.

Before the half concluded, however, Yann Sommer managed to touch Leao’s low cross, inadvertently directing it to Reijnders, who then opened the scoring.

Just after the restart, Inter were presented with a golden opportunity, but Martinez struck directly at Maignan. Denzel Dumfries then blocked Leão’s effort as both teams continued their energetic exchanges.

Fikayo Tomori displayed his defensive prowess by matching Stefan de Vrij’s leap to head the latter’s attempt behind, and yet another shot from Dimarco was thwarted.

Simone Inzaghi opted for three substitutions in the 63rd minute, but the story remained frustratingly familiar for Inter as Martinez had a third goal invalidated.

Yann Bisseck then had a header strike the post, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan fired wide, alternating with Reijnders’ lacklustre attempt that was also saved.

The post thwarted Milan’s efforts once again, denying both Marcus Thuram and Dumfries before Maignan bravely intervened to stop Dumfries’ charge.

Nonetheless, Inter refused to accept defeat, with debutant Nicola Zalewski deftly chested the ball back for De Vrij, who instinctively turned and fired home, marking a continuation of Inter’s impressive undefeated streak in Serie A, now at 17 matches.

While Milan may not have lost the match, conceding so late on is yet another bitter setback following their midweek defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)

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