Mauro Icardi Bags Late Winner As Inter Win Milan Derby
By Max Wise
There was drama at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza as Mauro Icardi scored late to hand Inter Milan a 1-0 win over crosstown rivals AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina on Sunday.
Mauro Icardi had a goal disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and Matias Vecino hit the bar for Inter Milan, before AC Milan’s Mateo Musacchio also had a goal ruled for offside in a game that recorded more yellow cards and fouls than clear goal scoring chances.
Genaro Gattuso’s less-fancied AC Milan stood toe-to-toe with Luciano Spaletti’s men and looked to be salvaging a point when Mauro Icardi headed home the winner two minutes into injury time.
Inter Milan have dislodged Lazio from the third spot of the Serie A table with 19 points as AC Milan sit at the 12th position with 12 points after the match day-nine encounter.
There was controversy in the 13th minute when Mauro Icardi had a goal ruled out, incredibly, for offside after referee Marco Guida had contacted the VAR.
Ivan Perisic latched onto a cross inside the box in the 24th minute and aimed a shot towards the bottom right corner, but Gianluigi Donnarumma reacted superbly to deny him.
Luciano Spalletti was forced to make a change on the half-hour mark by bringing on Iglesias Borja Valero after Radja Nainggolan sustained an injury and could not carry on.
Inter Milan’s Matias Vecino struck a rebound into the crossbar in the 34th minute, and Mauro Icardi missed a good chance for the hosts in the 41st minute as he fed on an inch-perfect cross into the box to shoot well wide over the bar.
The second half came with the game concentrated in the midfield and chances far in-between like was witnessed in the first half.
Matteo Politano had a good opportunity in the 58th minute when he latched onto a cross from the wing, but his shot from the six-yard box wasn't accurate enough as it went a few inches wide of the left post.
The game traveled to the 90-minute mark without either side threatening the other, and the game seems to be heading for a draw when Inter struck gold to damp AC Milan to their second defeat and fifth point loss in nine games.
Inter Milan attacked from the right wing, and Rodriguez allowed Vecino to pull an in-swinger into the six-yard-box from a tight angle.
The AC Milan defenders did not expect the cross and so were slow to react, and Icardi pounced on the ball to head it home past the helpless Gianluigi Donnarumma.
