AC Milan’s late, late surge against Interazionale produced a remarkable 2-2 draw in the latest instalment of the Derby della Madonnina on Saturday in their Serie A encounter at the San Siro.
Billed as the first ‘Chinese Derby di Milano’, as AC had been taken over by a Chinese consortium as recently as Thursday, the 90 minutes enthralled a capacity crowd as the iconic stadium that is shared by both clubs.
Inter had raced into a 2-0 lead at half-time and looked on course to secure a remarkable smash-and-grab victory over their arch rivals before Christian Zapata’s dramatic 97th-minute equaliser forced a share of the spoils.
Despite playing at ‘home’, the Nerrazzuri were forced to sit deep as Milan monopolised possession from kick off, yet they managed to score against the run of play, with Antonio Candreva’s smart finish from an acute angle in the 36th minute.
And then Inter captain Mauro Icardi doubled the home side’s lead after a well-worked move with Ivan Perisic on the right wing. The Croatian wing laid it on a plate for the Argentine to stroke home and with Inter 2-0 up a minute before half-time, the game looked done and dusted. It was Icardi's 21st league goal of the season and perhaps more significantly, his first in the Milan Derby.
For Milan had looked bright, with Gerard Deulofeu in particular, running rings around the Inter defence but with little to show for it, Milan looked short of ideas in the final third.
Montella sent on young Manuel Locatelli in the second half and despite the Rossoneri literally camping in their rivals’ half, things looked bleak for Inter were resolute in defence.
Milan kept pressing, however, and were rewarded for their perseverance when central defender Alessio Romagnoli volleying home Suso’s cross in the 83rd minute to set up a grandstand finish.
Even the most ardent of the Rossoneri faithful had resigned themselves to a narrow loss but Christian Zapata popped up deep into extra-time to ensure both Milan derbies of the 2016-17 season ended in a 2-2 draw. The defender’s header had been cleared off the line according to Inter defenders, but match referee Daniele Orsato correctly judged the ball had gone inside the goal, aided by goal-line technology the Serie A employs, no doubt.
Both sides had squandered plenty of chances, with Deulofeu and Perisic guilty of misses in the first period and substitute Eder missing a golden opportunity to square it for Icardi who would have put Inter 3-0 up in the second half, which meant a draw was the fair result.
The arch-rivals remain where they were in the league table, with Milan in sixth place with 58 points and Inter in seventh, two points behind.