AC Milan produced a thrilling performance at the San Siro on September 22, 2024, defeating city rivals Inter Milan 2-1 to snap a painful six-game losing streak in the Derby della Madonnina. A stunning 89th-minute header from defender Matteo Gabbia secured a vital victory for head coach Paulo Fonseca, easing intense pressure on his managerial position.
Fonseca unveiled an aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation that surprised Simone Inzaghi’s reigning champions. Starting Álvaro Morata alongside Tammy Abraham, Milan established a high-pressing block that disrupted Inter’s traditional buildup play through Nicolò Barella and Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Milan took an early lead in the 10th minute when Christian Pulisic embarked on a solo run, dribbling past three Inter defenders before poking a finish past Yann Sommer.
Inter responded in the 27th minute with a moment of quality. Lautaro Martínez held off Fikayo Tomori before playing a reverse pass to Federico Dimarco, who took one touch before drilling a low left-footed shot past Mike Maignan into the far corner to restore parity.
The second half turned into an end-to-end tactical battle. Maignan produced crucial saves to deny Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez, while Sommer made sharp stops against Rafael Leão and Abraham. Fonseca’s substitution in the 78th minute brought tactical freshness, maintaining high intensity in wide areas through Noah Okafor.
The decisive moment arrived in the 89th minute. Tijjani Reijnders delivered an inviting out-swinging free-kick into the heart of the penalty area, where Matteo Gabbia out-leaped Stefan de Vrij to power a header into the top corner. The victory gave AC Milan their first derby win since September 2022.