Milan came into Saturday’s Derby della Madonnina against Inter in high spirits but came out dismantled as Nerazzurri thumped them 5-1. It’s been a while since one of the sides walked away with such a significant goal-margin win, but Simone Inzaghi’s side outclassed their rivals this evening.
After winning their first three Serie A matches of the new campaign, Milan hoped to avenge a string of four competitive losses to Inter last season. Stefan Pioli’s men were on a quest to open a new top-flight season with a four-game unbeaten streak for only the second time since 1995/96.
However, they found themselves two goals down at halftime. Henrikh Mkhitaryan opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Marcus Thuram’s stunning strike from the edge of the box doubled Inter’s lead in the 38th minute.
Rafael Leao cut Nerazzurri’s advantage in half early in the second half, but Mkhitaryan’s second goal of the day in the 69th minute took the game away from Rossoneri’s hands. Former Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu added to the misery, slotting home a late penalty for Inter’s fourth in the derby. Everything was already over when Davide Frattesi found the net in stoppage time to seal Nerazzurri’s emphatic triumph
Milan (4-3-3)
Mike Maignan – 3.5
There was nothing he could do to stop any of the first-half goals. His backline let him down on both occasions.
Davide Calabria – 5
The captain showed plenty of desire and energy but struggled for the final product. None of his crosses were on point today.
Malick Thiaw – 4
It was the German defender’s worst showing since gaining Pioli’s trust midway through last season. The closest he got to keeping Thuram at bay earned him a yellow card for a cynical challenge.
Simon Kjaer – 4.5
Though the Danish veteran wasn’t as unimpressive as his fellow center-back colleague, he had a fair share of the blame for Milan’s first-half nightmare. He was nowhere to be seen near Mkhitaryan for Inter’s opener.
Theo Hernandez – 5.5
As usual, the left-back was one of Pioli’s top performers. He was unlucky not to score in the first half after getting rid of the entire Nerazzurri defense with one of his trademark runs. However, committing a silly penalty overshadowed his decent attacking display.
Tijjani Reijnders – 5.5
The Dutchman gave his best to help Milan gain a foothold in the midfield following a sluggish start. While he had a lot of the ball, he could invent anything meaningful in the final third.
Rade Krunic – 4.5
All of the Bosnian’s shortcomings came to light today. He couldn’t keep up with Nicolo Barella and Mkhitaryan. Dictating the pace with quick passes and clever runs has never been his strong suit, and it’s no wonder he failed to put those attributes to display this evening.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 6
Unlike his abovementioned midfield comrades, the ex-Chelsea star looked lively on the pitch all game long. He was the one pulling all the strings in the middle of the park, constantly shifting through the channels and trying to provide a spark.
Christian Pulisic – 3.5
There’s no doubt this was the USMNT forward’s poorest performance since joining Milan. He was invisible in the entire first half, forcing Pioli’s hand early in the second half as Samuel Chukwueze took his place.
Rafael Leao – 6.5
After a superb volley against Roma, the Milan new No10 stepped up to the plate again to bring his side into the game, finishing with aplomb after receiving a delightful through ball from Hernandez inside the box.
Olivier Giroud – 5
The aging Frenchman shook off the injury he picked up during the international break to deliver another decent showing.
Substitutes
Samuel Chukwueze – 3.5
He was eager to get more minutes in the Milan shirt but did nothing to justify the hefty price the Italians paid to lure him away from Villarreal in the summer.
Noah Okafor – 3
He barely touched the ball since coming on.
Luka Jovic – 3
It wasn’t the debut he was hoping for.
Alessandro Florenzi – 3.5
He wasn’t an upgrade on Calabria by any stretch of the imagination.
Yunus Musah – N/A
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