Ruben Amorim secured a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan in his first Milan derby on Saturday, with goals from Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, and Diego Moreira lifting AC Milan to fifth in Serie A.
Amorim, who took charge of Milan in June, had long dreamed of being part of this fixture. As a child in Lisbon, he supported Benfica locally and was captivated by the Milan sides of the late 1980s and early 1990s, featuring Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Dejan Savicevic. "My childhood dreams were to play for Benfica and Milan. I've fulfilled one. Now I suppose I'll have to become a coach for the other!" he told Portuguese newspaper Expresso in 2017.
Early Goals Set the Tone
Pulisic put Milan ahead in the fourth minute with a header from Moreira's cross, following 80 seconds of unbroken possession. Rabiot doubled the lead in the 10th minute with a first-time flick at a corner, a rehearsed routine that saw Sankhoun Diawara block Hakan Calhanoglu's tracking run.
Inter pulled one back through Alessandro Bastoni from a corner, but Moreira restored Milan's two-goal cushion with a left-footed free-kick from 20 yards out on the right, curling the ball over the wall into the near side of the net.
Tactical Adjustments and Context
Amorim showed tactical flexibility, alternating between a back three and a four, and sprung a surprise by naming 20-year-old Diawara as left wing-back in a 3-4-2-1. Inter's manager Cristian Chivu adapted to an availability crisis, pushing Andy Diouf forward and starting Petar Sucic, but the Nerazzurri looked unsure in their new system.
The win was Milan's first league defeat of the season for Inter, who had dropped only two points before this match. Milan had suffered a 4-2 loss to Bologna in midweek, which Amorim attributed to exhaustion, and several starters were rested or deemed unfit for that game.
Impact and Reactions
Amorim urged caution after the match, saying Milan had been "good, not great" and noting the three points were the same as any other win. Milan have now won the last four derbies across all competitions and are unbeaten in the last eight, but have not finished above Inter since their 2021-22 Scudetto-winning campaign.
The result adds weight to owner Gerry Cardinale's backing of Amorim, who told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he was "all in" on "Amorim ball". Milan and Inter jointly presented plans for a new stadium to replace San Siro in 2031, and this win strengthens Milan's case as Scudetto contenders.
