Pulisic's New Deal, Milan's Must-Win: The Derby Inter Haven't Won in Seven Tries

The Derby della Madonnina does not need selling, but tonight's edition at San Siro comes with a table attached. AC Milan host Inter on Saturday (12:45 p.m. PT, Serie A Matchday 10) seven points behind their city rivals, knowing a defeat leaves them ten adrift — and knowing, just as well, that Inter have not beaten them in seven derbies.

Milan's week turned on Friday. Christian Pulisic signed a new contract through June 2031, the club confirmed, closing a deal that was due to expire next June and committing the American's prime years to the Rossoneri a day before the biggest game of his season. Pulisic, left out of the starting side in midweek, is expected to return to it tonight in the probable line-ups published by Football Italia and Heavy.

Inter arrive unbeaten and level on 25 points with Lazio at the top — eight wins and a draw from nine, the best start to a Serie A season in the club's history in the three-points-for-a-win era. Lazio do not play Cagliari until tomorrow, so a win tonight puts Cristian Chivu's side top on their own. No caveats, no waiting on Rome.

Milan's need is sharper because Wednesday hurt. Alphadjo Cissé scored twice in the first half at San Siro and Milan still lost 4–2 to Bologna — Samuel Mbangula's hat-trick driving a second-half comeback that handed Rúben Amorim his first league defeat. It was Milan's first loss of the season, and it turned a derby into something closer to a must-win: fifth place, 18 points, and a gap that becomes ten with another defeat.

History, though, is wearing red and black. Milan won both league derbies 1–0 last season — Pulisic scoring the winner in November, Pervis Estupiñán in March — and Inter are winless in the last seven meetings in all competitions, five defeats and two draws since their last derby victory in April 2024. Lega Serie A puts a finer point on it: Inter have gone 293 minutes without scoring in this fixture. The league leaders are also, lately, this fixture's second-best team.

They will try to end that run without their captain. Lautaro Martínez is still out with the flexor injury he suffered in mid-October and will not return until after the international break; Benjamin Pavard, John Stones, Curtis Jones and Luis Henrique are also missing. Marcus Thuram — five league goals and two assists this season — leads the line with Pio Esposito.

Milan get bodies back and lose one. Adrien Rabiot, Mario Gila and Diego Moreira are all available again, Amorim confirmed, but Fikayo Tomori is out after tearing a hamstring muscle against Bologna. It is Amorim's first Milan derby — he replaced Massimiliano Allegri in the summer — and at 41, opposite Chivu at 46, the pair are the youngest coaching match-up in a Serie A Milan derby since Stramaccioni and Allegri in February 2013.

That is the shape of tonight: the unbeaten leaders, missing their captain, chasing a derby win that has eluded them for seven tries and sole possession of first place; the home side, seven points back, with their star freshly signed until 2031 and no room left to slip. Kick-off is 12:45 p.m. PT (8:45 p.m. CET) at San Siro. In the US, watch on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network in English, and Telemundo in Spanish.

AC Milan vs Inter — Serie A Matchday 10, San Siro, Saturday Oct 31, 12:45 p.m. PT / 8:45 p.m. CET. Referee: Marco Guida.