Pulisic and Maignan Consolidate AC Milan's Dominance in the Derby della Madonnina

MILAN, MONDAY – AC Milan remains the ruler of the fashion city that is crazy about football, Milan. The solitary goal from Christian Pulisic and a penalty save by Mike Maignan ensured "I Rossoneri" triumphed over Inter Milan 1-0 at the San Siro Stadium, Monday (24/11/2025) early morning WIB.

Since September 2024, AC Milan has not been defeated in the city derby against Inter. The advantage in the 12th week of the 2025-2026 Serie A season marks AC Milan's fourth superiority in the last six Milan derbies.

The second-half performance of two key players from Massimiliano Allegri's squad sealed Milan's three points. Christian Pulisic scored the game's only goal with a tap-in in the 54th minute. He capitalized on a fast-break, or counter-attack, initiated by Milan midfielder Youssouf Fofana, who stole the ball from Inter captain Hakan Calhanoglu in the middle third of Milan's defensive zone.

Then, Maignan showcased his magic by saving a penalty kick from Calhanoglu in the 74th minute. That was one of five saves made by the French national team goalkeeper.

The players of Rossoneri celebrated joyfully their seventh victory, which is laden with meaning. Not only did they continue their dominance over Inter, but Milan also thwarted Inter's ambitions to return to the top of the standings. Instead, it was Milan that rose two positions in the standings to second place.

Milan is only two points behind AS Roma, who currently lead the standings. Milan's points tally is actually the same as Napoli, both accumulating 25 points. However, I Rossoneri are entitled to the second position due to a superior goal difference over the defending champions.

"I think the points we earned were well-deserved. We had a very even match," Allegri told DAZN after the match.

According to Allegri, his players always manage to perform better when facing strong teams. This is in stark contrast to when his team loses points against mediocre teams, such as Cremonese, Parma, and Pisa.

"Psychologically, this win is very important. We're staying in the top four, as we wanted," said Allegri.

Allegri has prepared his squad for Inter with key players returning from injury, including Adrien Rabiot and Pulisic. Primarily in midfield, Allegri could field his best midfield trio, with Rabiot partnering Fofana and veteran playmaker Luka Modric.

The presence of the trio of midfielders helped Milan play more cohesively and disciplined in implementing a passive game. I Rossoneri allowed Inter players to play offensively and dominate ball possession.

In two halves, Inter dominated possession with a record of 64 percent. They also created 16 shots in the final third of Milan's defense.

However, Milan performed effectively. The goal scored by Pulisic was the result of the cohesive work of the trio of midfielders to close the spaces of Inter's midfielders, providing service to the striking duo, Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.

Pulisic defeated Inter's goalkeeper, Yann Sommer, with the first attack generated in the second half. It began with a shot from winger Alexis Saelemaekers, which Sommer managed to parry, but Pulisic was quicker to intercept the ball and slot it into the net before Inter defender Manuel Akanji could match his speed.

That pragmatic play demonstrates the identity and philosophy of the football favored by Allegri. In addition to focusing on three midfielders, Allegri has Pulisic and Rafael Leao in the forward positions. The speed and sharpness of the attacking duo are well maximized by Milan.

Although he may not have the same prominence as Pulisic, Leao consistently manages to attract the attention of Inter's defenders when he is in possession of the ball. At least two players approach the Portuguese forward. This situation helps his teammates gain space.

Saelemaekers experienced this during Milan's goal process. He was able to escape the encirclement of Inter players who were focused on Leao at the center of the field.

Despite winning the Derby della Madonnina, Allegri reminded his team to continue improving. He felt Milan's attacking play had declined after Inter's repeated pressure after the goal.

"We need to be more accurate in our crosses. Inter's natural situation will struggle to equalize the score; we had several attacking situations that should have been maximized. However, we defended well," said Allegri.

For Inter, the defeat to Milan halted a streak of four consecutive victories since October 30. "I Nerazzurri" also suffered their first game without being able to score in the 2025-2026 competition campaign.

In addition, Inter's coach Cristian Chivu has also been unable to lift the morale of his team when facing tough opponents in Serie A. Inter has suffered defeats against Juventus (3-4), Napoli (1-3), and subsequently Milan. The only victory for Inter against a top team was when they defeated AS Roma on October 19.

Thuram is not concerned about his team's record against cycling teams this season. He is confident that the Inter squad will bounce back in the upcoming matches to compete at the top of the standings.

"I know we suffered a defeat, but we're still on the right track. We believe in the coach and this project. One defeat won't change our minds," Thuram said, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.