Pulisic Fires Milan to Derby Victory as Maignan’s Heroics Halt Inter’s Winning Run

Key Takeaways:

• Last night, AC Milan secured a 1-0 win over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina with a 54th-minute goal from Christian Pulisic
• Mike Maignan became the hero for the Rossoneri on 74 minutes by saving a Hakan Çalhanoğlu penalty, ending Inter’s four-match winning streak
• Milan extended their unbeaten run in the Milan derby to six games, comprising four wins and two draws

Match Analysis

AC Milan emerged victorious in the highly anticipated Derby della Madonnina of Serie A’s twelfth round, defeating city rivals Inter 1-0 at San Siro. The crucial breakthrough arrived in the 54th minute as Christian Pulisic capitalised on a rebound to score what proved to be the only goal of the match. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan cemented his status as man of the moment in the 74th minute by denying Hakan Çalhanoğlu from the penalty spot, preserving Milan’s slender lead for the remainder of the contest.

With this result, Milan ended Inter’s run of four successive victories across all competitions and maintained an impressive sequence of six consecutive Milan derbies without defeat. During this stretch, the Rossoneri have claimed four wins and two draws against their crosstown rivals.

THE DERBY IS OURS ❤️🖤

Brought to you by @Bitpanda_global pic.twitter.com/XH7UwUGizj

— AC Milan (@acmilan) November 23, 2025

Tactical Changes and Starting Line-Ups

Inter manager Cristian Chivu made two alterations to his starting line-up after their previous 2-0 triumph over Lazio. The injured Denzel Dumfries was replaced by Carlos Augusto, who slotted in as right wing-back, while Marcus Thuram was selected to partner captain Lautaro Martínez in attack instead of Ange-Yoan Bonny.

Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri opted for four changes following his side’s 2-2 draw with Parma. Fikayo Tomori returned in defence, supplanting Koni De Winter. The midfield saw the reinstatement of Adrien Rabiot for Samuele Ricci after recovering from injury, while Davide Bartesaghi started as left wing-back ahead of Pervis Estupiñán. Up front, Rafael Leão partnered Christian Pulisic, with Christopher Nkunku relegated to the bench.

Key Moments and Match Flow

The encounter began with a rapid tempo as Inter’s Marcus Thuram tested Mike Maignan with a powerful header in just the fourth minute. Inter came close on several occasions, with both Manuel Akanji and Petar Sučić misfiring following corner routines. Milan’s first opportunity fell to Bartesaghi, whose effort failed to trouble the target, and Youssouf Fofana followed up with another off-target shot. Francesco Acerbi hit the upright with a header from a corner in the 27th minute, and moments later, Çalhanoğlu narrowly missed the target with a well-struck effort. Inter struck the woodwork again when Maignan diverted Lautaro’s volley onto the post late in the half, and Milan countered with long-range attempts from Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers, though neither troubled Yann Sommer.

The pattern continued after the interval, as Thuram again forced a save from Maignan. In the 54th minute, Saelemaekers unleashed a long-range shot, parried by Sommer, but Pulisic reacted quickest to steer home the rebound and put Milan ahead. Inter responded with efforts from Çalhanoğlu, whose attempt was blocked, and Bastoni, who shot over. Fofana failed to double the lead for Milan when faced with an opportunity.

On 70 minutes, Strahinja Pavlović was adjudged to have fouled Thuram inside the penalty area, prompting a VAR review and a subsequent penalty rewarded to Inter. Çalhanoğlu stepped up, but Maignan, replicating his previous feat against Paulo Dybala in a 1-0 triumph over Roma two rounds earlier, produced a fine save and punched the rebound clear. Inter pressed for an equaliser, but efforts from Federico Dimarco, Andy Diouf, and Ange-Yoan Bonny failed to alter the scoreline.

Standings Impact

This outcome propelled AC Milan above their rivals into second place in Serie A, collecting 25 points and trailing new leaders Roma by just two points. Inter, meanwhile, slipped to fourth with 24 points.