Gabbia Ends AC Milan's Derby Pain with Late Winner vs. Inter

Matteo Gabbia secured a dramatic late victory for AC Milan against Inter Milan on Sunday, scoring with a powerful header to clinch a 2-1 win and local bragging rights.

Gabbia rose to meet Tijjani Reijnders' free-kick in the 89th minute, marking a crucial Serie A victory that pulls Milan out of a challenging start to the season. With this win, Milan joins Inter on eight points, placing them both in seventh position.

The match saw Federico Dimarco equalize for Inter just before the half-hour mark, following Christian Pulisic's impressive individual goal in the 10th minute. After the match, Milan's coach Paulo Fonseca expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, stating, "They played with a lot of courage today and I think we deserved to win; I can't remember another team that have created so many problems for Inter like we did today," as reported to DAZN.

This victory ended Inter's streak of six consecutive derby wins and prevented them from taking the top position in Serie A, which is currently held by early leaders Torino.

The win provides a much-needed boost for Milan, alleviating some pressure on new coach Fonseca. In contrast, Inter's coach Simone Inzaghi noted, "They were the better team tonight; we didn't play as a team and that's not something you can usually say about us."

Milan's recent struggles were evident as they faced heavy criticism after a loss to Liverpool earlier in the week. However, the team received strong support from fans at the San Siro, demonstrating a more cohesive performance, particularly in the second half. Despite several missed opportunities, including a sensational save from Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Milan ultimately capitalized on their chances.

Sommer made critical saves, including stopping a header from Rafael Leao just after halftime and another close-range effort from Reijnders later in the match. Leao continued to threaten, but Sommer kept him at bay again in the 75th minute, denying a rapid counter-attack.

Gabbia's late goal ignited celebrations among Milan supporters, marking the end of their derby woes. Reflecting on the match, Gabbia said, "It was pretty difficult when things weren't going well, but this win will really help push us forward. There are always tough moments in life; all we can do is not have regrets at the final whistle and that's what happened today."