Christian Pulisic’s goal proved decisive as AC Milan triumphed over their rivals, Inter Milan, with a score of 1-0.
Although Inter had a strong presence on the field, it was Pulisic who broke the deadlock shortly after halftime. Cristian Chivu’s squad faced further setback when Hakan Çalhanoglu had his penalty brilliantly saved by Mike Maignan.
This victory propels Milan to second place in Serie A, while Inter slips to fourth position.
Inter started the match strongly, with Marcus Thuram testing Maignan early on. They came close to scoring when Çalhanoglu sent a corner to Francesco Acerbi, but his header hit the post.
Maignan again made an essential save, this time diving to deny a volley from Lautaro Martínez, pushing the ball onto the post.
Inter continued to struggle, as Çalhanoglu’s powerful shot from distance was blocked, and Alessandro Bastoni misfired shortly after.
Sommer contained a low strike from Youssouf Fofana following a smooth move by Milan. Inter had a chance to equalize in the 73rd minute when they were awarded a penalty due to Strahinja Pavlovic stepping on Thuram’s foot in the box.
Çalhanoglu’s penalty was remarkably saved by Maignan, who dove expertly to stop it and managed to clear the rebound.
In the closing moments, Maignan made a straightforward save from Andy Diouf, and Milan held on under late pressure to secure the three points.
This derby outcome left Roma at the top of the table after Gian Piero Gasperini’s team won 3-1 against Cremonese earlier in the day.
Roma currently holds 27 points, two ahead of both Milan and Napoli, and three more than Inter and Bologna.
Pulisic made his return from injury in Milan’s previous match, coming on in the 70th minute and nearly scoring a late winner in a 2-2 draw against Parma.
Information from PA and The Associated Press contributed to this recap.