AC Milan pulled off a crucial 1-0 victory over city rivals Inter Milan at San Siro, thanks to a goal by Christian Pulisic and a match-saving penalty stop by Mike Maignan.
The game was tight in the first half, with Inter pressing hard and Maignan making several key saves, including denying a Marcus Thuram header and keeping out a volley from Lautaro Martinez that hit the post.
AC broke the deadlock shortly after halftime. Alexis Saelemaekers forced a save from Inter keeper Yann Sommer, but Pulisic reacted quickly to convert the rebound into the net.
Late in the game, Inter were awarded a penalty after Strahinja Pavlović was judged to have fouled Thuram. Hakan Çalhanoğlu stepped up, but Maignan read the kick perfectly and made a superb low save to preserve the Rossoneri lead.
The win boosts Milan to second place in Serie A with 25 points, just two behind leaders AS Roma. Inter, on the other hand, miss the chance to move to the top and drop to fourth place with 24 points.
For Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, the result is a psychological boost. He said the victory was “very important to stay within the top four” in what’s shaping up to be a tight title race.
