{"id":945976,"date":"2026-03-09T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/football-italia.net\/?p=945976"},"modified":"2026-03-09T15:24:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T15:24:53","slug":"milan-1-0-inter-3-things-learn-derby-madonnina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/football-italia.net\/milan-1-0-inter-3-things-learn-derby-madonnina\/","title":{"rendered":"Milan 1-0 Inter: Three things learned in Derby della Madonnina","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Pervis Estupinan\u2019s first Milan goal gave the Rossoneri all three points<\/a> in a derby della Madonnina against Inter; here are three things we learned.<\/p>

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Slow and toothless Inter<\/h2>

Inter came to the game without their starting strikers, Lautaro Martinez (injured) and Marcus Thuram (fever), so Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny started for the first time together this season. One stat pretty well explains the performance of the two Inter centre-forwards: just one pass from Esposito to Bonny, and none from Bonny to Esposito. Simply, the Nerazzurri hitmen didn\u2019t link up and had no chances to hurt Maignan. To make things worse, obviously, Cristian Chivu didn\u2019t have any valuable replacement on the bench to change the momentum and, in fact, only Denzel Dumfries\u2019 introduction made the Nerazzurri slightly more dangerous in the second half.<\/p>

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It would be unfair, however, to only blame it on the strikers. Pio Esposito and Bonny didn\u2019t receive the necessary support from their teammates, especially the wingers. Dimarco and Luis Henrique didn\u2019t receive the ball from central midfielders in dangerous positions. Inter moved the ball too slowly with Zielinski, Barella and Mkhitaryan. Calhanoglu spent the whole game on the bench. Forwards will get the blame, but the real issues started much deeper.<\/p>

Inter\u2019s problems against Milan<\/h2>

The last game Inter won against their city rivals was almost two years ago. It was a historic derby as their victory on April 22, 2024, gave them their 20th Scudetto. Fast forward to this season; before the last night, the Nerazzurri had not lost a Serie A match since the reverse fixture on November 23. Now, the only two league games in which they have not scored this season are those against Milan.<\/a> It\u2019s enough to prove the Nerazzurri have a problem, probably more than one, against their city rivals. Technically, they are a better team; they have more quality and experience, yet they haven\u2019t won any of their last seven games against the Rossoneri, losing the last three in a row.<\/p>

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Inter have been the most consistent team in Italy this season, yet they\u2019ve been struggling against some of the top sides. They\u2019ve earned just one point in two games against Napoli, three in two games against Juve, and none in two meetings with Milan. In four games against the second and third-ranked, Milan and Napoli, they\u2019ve only collected one point. In the Champions League, they\u2019ve lost to Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, and Liverpool. Despite their loss last night, they still have a big advantage over their city rivals (seven points), but they have plenty of work to do to become a dominant force in the league, and perhaps the work they have to make is more on their heads than on their legs.<\/p>

Milan are solid\u2026but still lack something<\/h2>

Milan put in a very solid performance and, to be fair, it was even less defensive than many would have thought. The Rossoneri played at quite a high tempo in the first half and pressed high up the pitch before the break, perhaps surprising the Nerazzurri. Even without Matteo Gabbia, the Rossoneri were incredibly solid at the back, and Koni De Winter confirmed his recent improvements with a high-level performance.<\/p>

\"MILAN,
MILAN, ITALY \u2013 MARCH 08: Rafael Leao of AC Milan competes for the ball with Manuel Akanji of Inter during the Serie A match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

At the same time, however, when the space opened up in the final third, the Devil was still unable to capitalise. Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic have done their best when used through the middle, but neither is a natural centre-forward. That\u2019s simply the reality. Milan clearly need a top-class striker next season. While Leao and Pulisic can be effective there on occasion, they\u2019ve already done more than enough adapting to unfamiliar roles this term. Milan will secure a Champions League qualification, while the Scudetto may remain out of reach, but to take the next step, the club will need a proper goalscorer in the summer.<\/p>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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