Player Ratings: AC Milan 1-0 Inter

AC Milan clinched all three points in the Derby della Madonnina and thus completed the double over Inter this season. There were two unexpected heroes and below are the player ratings for the Rossoneri. 

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out how we decide the player ratings. From the scale to what affects the rating, we have compiled everything there.

Starting XI

Maignan (6.5): Inter only had one shot on target (!) and it came from close range, when the keeper did well to stand his ground and essentially deflect Mkhitaryan’s effort. He also did well in most collections, apart from one poor intervention at the end.

Tomori (6.5): I would have liked to see a bit more from him in the build-up and when out on the right flank, but there’s no denying that he did his duties well. Dimarco didn’t exactly get to many crossing opportunities, also thanks to Saelemaekers’ work, and the Englishman was solid in the box too.

De Winter (6.5): He set the tone very early by shrugging off Bonny, and then continued to defend with confidence. There were a couple of moments which could have been handled better, but also a few which he handled brilliantly. All in all, a very good display.

Pavlovic (6.5): Incredibly strong in the duels (both 1v1 and in the box) and as always, he was super willing in both phases of the game. In derbies, that type of attitude is so crucial and really does make a difference.

Saelemaekers (6.5): Similarly to Pavlovic, it’s a game that suits him well in the sense that you need to be quite aggressive to gain an upper hand on your opponent. It feels like he did just that against Dimarco, and he also defended well overall tonight.

Fofana (7): He initiated the one-two with Leao and played the pass to Estupinan at just the right time, and with just the right weight. He had a couple of half-chances after that which he perhaps could have done better with, but it’s also a fact that his smart movement between the lines is what created those chances in the first place.

Modric (6.5): A standard Modric performance with good movement and passes, even if I would say that he didn’t need to shine tonight. He was just an important part of the machine without making too much noise, but that’s not a bad thing either.

Rabiot (7): I think he was really smart with his movement for most of the game, not only finding pockets of space in attack but also covering for his teammates when needed in defence. On more than one occasion, he also broke up the play, giving Milan some time to rest (while frustrating Inter).

Estupinan (7.5 – MOTM): He timed his run to perfection and the finish was even better! Certainly a brilliant way to score your first goal for the club, let alone in a derby. Some dodgy moments in defence perhaps should have lowered the rating to a 7, but I’m in a good mood and after all, he just gave us the double over Inter!

Pulisic (6): The No.11 ran the most out of any Milan player, which made a difference tonight, but he would probably agree that his performance on the ball didn’t stand out. There was one good run down the middle and pass for Leao, but not much more aside from that.

Leao (6): Involved in the goal, playing that one-two with Fofana, but there wasn’t much else in terms of successful attacking contributions from him. The only positive after from the one-two was that he moved well and stretched the Inter defence more than once.

Substitutes

Ricci (6): He came on in the 73rd minute, together with Fullkrug, and had a couple of good clearances/interceptions in the defensive phase. Maybe generous to give a pass for the lack of contributions, but he also wasn’t bad.

Fullkrug (N/A): I think Allegri brought him on to offer a focal point for the defence to aim at but I’m not so sure we got to see that. He was offside a couple of times and wasn’t really that involved in my opinion. On a derby win night, however, I’ll opt for the N/A here rather than 5.5 since I can.

Nkunku (N/A): I didn’t see enough to give him a rating.

The manager

Allegri (7): Maybe it was easier with Lautaro and Thuram out, but Inter really struggled to create chances tonight and didn’t really find any rhythm to their game. Allegri’s tactics thus have to be praise, while the decision to go with Estupinan paid off too.