AC Milan 1-1 Inter Milan: 5 hits and flops as Derby della Madonnina ends in stalemate | Serie A 2021-22
There was no separating AC Milan and Inter Milan in the 229th Derby della Madonnina on Sunday.
The two rivals played out a riveting Serie A game that ended in a 1-1 draw. Hakan Calhanoglu's penalty for Inter Milan was cancelled out by an own goal from Stefan de Vrij at the other end, although both sides will rue missed chances.
Lautaro Martinez saw a spot-kick saved by Ciprian Tatarusanu, while Ante Rebic and Franck Kessie came close to scoring for the Rossoneri late on. Alexis Saelemaekers' effort came off the post as Milan went for it in the final few minutes of normal time.
Inter, who've won five of their last six league derbies against Milan, saw one big miss from Hakan Calhanoglu. Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian's effort was cleared off the line by Fode Ballo-Toure. Although both sides looked for a win, they won't be too disappointed by the final result, considering how intense the game was.
Milan remain unbeaten after 11 games into the 2021-22 season, making it their best-ever start in the three-points era. They trail table-toppers Napoli (32 points) only on goal difference. Meanwhile, Inter are in third, trailing their city rivals by seven points.
On that note, here are five hits and flops from the Milan derby:
Hit: Ciprian Tatarusanu (AC Milan)
Ciprian Tatarusanu was never the first-choice goalkeeper at Milan. But an injury to Mike Maignon has opened up a chance for him to make a case for the starting role. He has done a fine job thus far.
The Romanian international put up another solid display between the sticks for the Rossoneri. Tatarusanu wasn't afraid to charge out of his line to kick the ball away or make a high claim.
Ciprian Tatarusanu has saved his first ever penalty for AC Milan.
And he's done it against arch rivals Inter. 🧤 https://t.co/HWqu2J9ksC
His best contribution, though, was to save Martinez's penalty. The former Lyon custodian guessed the right way to deny the Inter Milan striker, which eventually proved decisive on the night.
Flop: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Lautaro Martinez's penalty miss proved costly for the Nerazzurri. As a result, the holders couldn't end Milan's unbeaten domestic run and close the gap at the top of the table.
With Calhanoglu burying his spot-kick perfectly, Martinez stepped up for Inter Milan's second of the night. But it was a tame effort, with Tatarusanu diving the right way to make a save.
LAUTARO MARTINEZ DENIED FROM THE SPOT. ❌
The Derby della Madonnina 🍿 https://t.co/dCDHXdhLRD
Even from open play, the Argentine striker failed to make any notable impact. The Inter Milan man's shots lacked venom to truly trouble the Milan, and also got dispossessed far too easily.