A soft Christopher Nkunku penalty cancelled out the Federico Dimarco opener, as Inter and Milan drew 1-1 in a pre-season friendly in Perth.
There were several initiatives before kick-off to remember iconic Rossoneri captain Franco Baresi, including a minute’s silence with all the players united around his jersey, and the Milan players wearing his Number 6 shirt. Play also halted at the sixth minute for a further moment of remembrance.
Francesco Camarda and Davide Bartesaghi both somehow failed to get the crucial touch on a Samuel Chukwueze cross at the back post, then Yunus Musah fired into the upright of a practically open goal on the Ruben Loftus-Cheek pull-back.
Francesco Pio Esposito’s acrobatic volley forced a tricky save, as did Piotr Zielinski’s flick from 12 yards.
Inter broke the deadlock with a well-worked move, as young substitute Matteo Lavelli spread it down the right for Nicolò Barella, who rolled across for Federico Dimarco’s tap-in from six yards.
Christopher Nkunku had a pop from distance, but Esposito and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both scuffed wide from promising positions, as Milan struggled defending down their left once Pervis Estupinan came on.
Ruben Amorim made eight changes in one go on the hour mark, including Luka Modric, Rafael Leao and Goncalo Ramos.
Lavelli went on the counter for Inter and forced a fingertip save from Lorenzo Torriani with his angled drive, while Goncalo Ramos had a shot parried at the near post.
Rafael Leao and Goncalo Ramos showed some interesting combinations, testing Ivan Provedel, but Milan received a rather soft penalty when Christopher Nkunku went down under slight pressure from Carlos Augusto. Nkunku converted it himself, blasting into the roof of the net.
Inter weren’t taking it lying down, as Torriani got down to palm a Mkhitaryan snapshot past the upright, then a very dazed Yann Bisseck had to be helped off the field after Estupinan clattered into the back of his head with a bookable offence.
Milan 1-1 Inter
Dimarco 53 (I), Nkunku pen 84 (M)
Milan: Torriani; Tomori (F Terracciano 63), Gabbia (De Winter 63), Pavlovic (Vladimirov 63); Chukwueze (Saelemaekers 63), Musah (Modric 63), Fofana (Jashari 63), Bartesaghi (Estupinan 46); Cissè (Nkunku 46), Loftus-Cheek (Leao 63); Camarda (G Ramos 63)
Inter: J Martinez (Provedel 71); Pavard (Bovio 76), Bisseck (Mosconi 95), Bastoni (Carlos Augusto 71); Diouf (Luis Henrique 71), Barella (Frattesi 71), Stankovic (Mkhitaryan 46), Zielinski (Calhanoglu 71), Dimarco (Maye 80); Pio Esposito (Bonny 71), Iddrissou (Lavelli 46)
