Inter Milan's perfect start to their pre-season campaign came to a halt in Perth, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by fierce Serie A rivals AC Milan in a tightly contested derby at Optus Stadium.

AC Milan began the match with high energy, creating several early opportunities. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was instrumental in the opening exchanges, setting up Alphadjo Cisse, who narrowly missed the target, and Yunus Musah, whose first-time strike crashed against the left post in the 18th minute.

As the first half progressed, Inter began to find their rhythm. Francesco Pio Esposito and Piotr Zielinski both forced saves from Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani with powerful volleys shortly before the interval.

Inter Break Deadlock

The deadlock was broken seven minutes into the second half. Nicolo Barella carved open the defense with a low cross across the face of the goal, which was clinically converted by Federico Dimarco. Dimarco's unmarked run into the six-yard box caught the Milan defense off guard, giving Inter a deserved lead.

Despite Inter controlling much of the game—boasting an expected goals (xG) of 2.34 compared to Milan's 1.39—they struggled to double their advantage. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Matteo Lavelli both saw efforts thwarted by Torriani.

Late Drama in Perth

Milan's persistence paid off in the 84th minute when Christopher Nkunku was brought down by Carlos Augusto inside the area. The referee pointed to the spot, a decision that sparked some controversy. Nkunku stepped up himself to fire past Ivan Provedel, ensuring the spoils were shared.

While the result was a stalemate, Inter's Federico Dimarco and Nicolo Barella continued to impress. Dimarco recorded seven touches in the box and four crosses, while Barella led his side in chances created (four) and successful tackles.

The match ended on a worrying note for Inter manager Cristian Chivu, as Yann Bisseck had to be helped off the pitch following a head injury sustained in a collision with Pervis Estupinan during stoppage time. For AC Milan, the game marked the first appearance of Goncalo Ramos, though the forward remained largely quiet off the bench.