Milan beat Inter 2-1 in the Serie A derby at San Siro on Saturday evening, with Christian Pulisic breaking the deadlock and Adrien Rabiot adding a second before Alessandro Bastoni pulled one back with a header, according to Corriere della Sera.
The match kicked off at 20.45 local time, with the fixture drawing attention well beyond Italy. Corriere della Sera reported the result as it unfolded, describing Pulisic's opener, Rabiot's finish from a corner and Bastoni's headed response.
Why it matters
The Milan derby is one of the most watched club fixtures in Italian football, and Saturday's meeting put the two sides' contrasting form and ambitions under scrutiny at a stadium whose future is itself a subject of ongoing discussion.
The evening also carried significance off the pitch. Milan owner Gerry Cardinale used the pre-match window to signal an imminent front-office appointment, while the president of Italy's national Olympic committee, Luciano Buonfiglio, framed the occasion as a showcase for Italian sport.
Rabiot doubles from a corner as Milan take control
Rabiot's goal came from a corner, with the French midfielder finding space inside the area and beating Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez, Corriere della Sera reported. It followed Pulisic's opening goal and gave Milan a two-goal cushion.
Inter had their moments before that. The visitors tried to push forward through Djed Spence and won the first corner of the game, according to the same reporting.
Bastoni reduced the deficit with a header, setting up a tense closing stretch, but Milan held on for the 2-1 result.
Two coaches, two very different line-ups
Milan lined up in a 4-3-3 under Rúben Amorim: Mike Maignan in goal; a back four of Gila, Koni De Winter, Strahinja Pavlović and Diawara; Yunus Musah, Luka Modrić and Rabiot in midfield; and a front three of Moreira, Gonçalo Ramos and Pulisic. La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted the inclusion of Modrić and Pulisic from the first minute.
Inter's coach Cristian Chivu sprang a surprise, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, which described his selection as a total overhaul. Chivu set up in a 3-5-2 with Josep Martínez in goal; Bisseck, Manuel Akanji and Bastoni in defence; Spence, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Petar Sučić and Carlos Augusto across the middle; and Diouf alongside Marcus Thuram, who was the only recognised striker in the starting eleven.
Çalhanoğlu's history against his former club added a subplot. He played 135 Serie A games for Milan between 2017 and 2021, scoring 22 goals and providing 31 assists, though he has not been directly involved in a goal in his last four league meetings with the Rossoneri after contributing to four in his first five.
Cardinale confirms a front-office arrival is close
Speaking to Sky Sport shortly before kick-off, Cardinale said an announcement would come soon, without naming the individual. Reporting by gianlucadimarzio.com identified the target as Markus Krösche, with an agreement in place and formal confirmation expected by 1 December.
Cardinale had been more guarded in comments to Corriere della Sera on 30 October, when he confirmed talks with Krösche and other candidates while stressing he felt no urgency. He also indicated that the new head of the sporting area would work alongside him rather than receive full authority over club operations.
Krösche, born in 1980, was a midfielder and captain at Paderborn before moving into administration at the same club, then RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt, where he arrived in 2021. He is credited with identifying and developing players including Randal Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush and Willian Pacho. Milan had pursued him in the summer, but the move stalled, partly over the compensation requested by Eintracht. On 18 October he was released from his duties in Germany, reopening the path to Milan, where he is expected to take on a role as Head of Football.
Cardinale also used the pre-match interviews to restate his broader aims. He said his objective since taking over was to return Milan to the top of the game, pointing to the club's former players as part of that history and to partnerships with them as part of the plan. He praised Amorim's work in developing players and said he was pleased to have brought him to the club, adding that Milan intend to be active in the next transfer window and to take whatever opportunities arise. On the shared stadium project with Inter, he said he wants to contribute his financial experience from the United States to make the venue the best it can be.
Buonfiglio, speaking to DAZN before the match, called it a special occasion for a city and a stadium that will leave a significant legacy to football. He said he expected a great spectacle and argued that the sport's representatives at Milan and Inter should express football's value as the country's leading sport. He also said he had been glad to speak with Cardinale and admired his vision, planning and involvement of people, describing him as a top-level executive alongside Inter's Giuseppe Marotta and other Serie A presidents.
What to watch
Attention now turns to whether Milan can build on the win and to the expected confirmation of Krösche's appointment by 1 December, with the club's stated intention to be active in the transfer market likely to shape the weeks that follow.
