MILAN - The 168th #DerbyMilano ended without a winner after it was rescheduled from its original date of 4th March. The Nerazzurri played well and created various chances but weren’t able to find the net. Following the 0-0 result, Luciano Spalletti’s team stay fourth in the table, one point behind Roma, two ahead of Lazio and eight points ahead of the Rossoneri.
The Nerazzurri showed a positive approach from the start. Right from the third minute, Rafinha found space to get a shot away from inside the Milan box but his left-foot effort was blocked by Kessie. Nine minutes in, Brozovic tried with his left from the edge of the area but it went wide. Inter were looking to score again in the 19th minute, Cancelo played in Candreva but his powerful fight-foot strike was too central and Donnarumma saved. Milan got forward for the first time with Handanovic making a superb save in the 22nd minute. Calhanoglu took a free kick from a deep position which brushed off the head of Bonucci but the Slovenian goalkeeper did incredibly well to palm it away when it seemed bound for the net. Six minutes later, Handanovic saved a Cutrone shot with no real difficulties before Inter started to apply the pressure once more. On 29 minutes, Brozovic played a long ball to Perisic who crossed from the left but Donnarumma was alert to intercept it. The key moment of the first half came in the 38th minute. Candreva played the ball forward to Icardi who beat the onrushing goalkeeper with a cool finish. The Inter fans were celebrating only for the referee to disallow it for an extremely close offside decision after it went to VAR. The sides went into the break with the scoreline at 0-0.
The second half began with an instant yet unexpected chance for the Nerazzurri, with a 48th minute cross from Perisic bouncing off Donnarumma’s crossbar. This was then followed by some great link-up play between Rafinha and Perisic in the 52nd minute, although the latter’s effort failed to find the target. A monumental chance then fell for Inter just four minutes later, as Rafinha slipped in Candreva down the right, whose cross then found Icardi in space but he somehow missed an open goal. The Rossoneri responded in the 59th minute through a left-footed shot from Kessie, although the effort went over.
With the Nerazzurri still pressing, Perisic looked an increasing threat going forwards and he forced a good save from Donnarumma in the 65th minute. Cutrone found the back of the net in the 68th minute with an acrobatic bicycle kick, but the lineman correctly ruled it to be offside.
Both Gattuso and Spalletti soon sent on reinforcements from the bench, but the game still hung in the balance even during the latter stages. Kalinic went close to snatching the win with a header in the 90th minute, before Inter’s captain very nearly stole the show with one of the last kicks of the game. Cancelo put in a sumptuous low cross, although Icardi was just unable to put the ball in the back of the net.
The final whistle was then blown just seconds later, with Milan vs. Inter finishing 0-0. The Nerazzurri will look to get back to winning ways when they take on Walter Mazzarri’s Torino in the lunch-time kick off on Sunday.
#ForzaInter forever !
MILAN 0-0 INTER
MILAN: 99 G. Donnarumma; 2 Calabria, 19 Bonucci, 13 Romagnoli, 68 Rodriguez; 79 Kessie, 18 Montolivo (69' 73 Locatelli), 5 Bonaventura (81' 11 Borini); 8 Suso, 63 Cutrone (69' 7 Kalinic), 10 Calhanoglu
Substitutes: 30 Storari, 90 A. Donnarumma, 4 J. Mauri, 9 André Silva, 17 Zapata, 20 Abate, 22 Musacchio, 31 Antonelli
Coach: Gennaro Gattuso
INTER: 1 Handanovic; 7 Cancelo, 37 Skriniar, 25 Miranda, 33 D'Ambrosio; 77 Brozovic, 5 Gagliardini; 87 Candreva (77' 23 Eder), 8 Rafinha (71' 20 B. Valero), 44 Perisic; 9 Icardi
Substitutes: 27 Padelli, 46 Berni, 2 Lisandro, 11 Vecino, 13 Ranocchia, 17 Karamoh, 21 Santon, 29 Dalbert, 99 Pinamonti
Coach: Luciano Spalletti
Bookings: Cancelo (I), Perisic (I), Skriniar (I), Candreva (I), Suso (M)
Added time: 2' + 3'
Referee: Di Bello
Assistants: Costanzo, Preti
Fourth Official: Giacomelli
VAR operators: Valeri, Schenone
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