Video: Christian Pulisic scores winning goal for AC Milan in Serie A derby vs. Inter
AC Milan were struggling to generate chances against a well-organized Inter Milan side at San Siro in a heated 2025-26 Serie A clash. But with the ball loose inside the box, Christian Pulisic pounced on a rebound to give the win to the Rossoneri.
Youssouf Fofana won the ball in midfield following an Inter goal kick and sparked Milan’s counterattack. The ball was played wide to Alexis Saelemaekers, who fired a low, powerful effort with his right foot that Yann Sommer managed to push away at full stretch.
But arriving from the left was Christian Pulisic, who reacted quickest. The USMNT star saw the ball drop inside the six-yard box and, with Sommer on the ground, slotted home a simple tap-in in the 54th minute to give Milan the lead over their city rivals.
Later in the game, Inter Milan were awarded a penalty after Strahinja Pavlović caught Marcus Thuram with a stomp inside the area. However, Mike Maignan turned into another AC Milan hero, denying Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s attempt in the 74th minute to secure all three points.
With the Derby della Madonnina victory, Milan have now climbed to second place in Serie A with 25 points, overtaking Inter, who drop to fourth with 24. Next week, the Rossoneri will host seventh-placed Lazio with a chance to reach the top of the table, currently held by AS Roma with 27 points through 12 matches.
Pulisic’s triumphant return to Milan
Pulisic has enjoyed an excellent start to the 2025-26 season with AC Milan, leading the team in goals and helping push the club back into the top tier of the standings after a disappointing ninth-place finish last season. However, the USMNT star suffered a right hamstring injury during a friendly against Australia, sidelining him for four matches.
The forward made his initial return in early November against Parma for a 20-minute runout, but he missed the international break with the USMNT to regain full fitness. Now, against Inter, Pulisic returned to Milan’s starting XI and, despite limited chances in a match where Inter controlled long stretches, he still delivered a clutch performance to extend Milan’s Derby della Madonnina unbeaten run to six games.