Milan snatches a late draw from neighbors Inter in a friendly match

Perth (Australia) - AFP - Frenchman Christopher Nkunku scored a penalty in the final minutes to lead Milan to a 1-1 draw with rivals Inter Milan in a lackluster friendly match held in the Australian city of Perth on Wednesday as part of both teams’ preparations for the new season.

In front of 52,310 spectators, Inter, the Italian league champions, appeared to be on course to win the derby after Federico Dimarco scored from close range in the 52nd minute.

However, Nkunku was fouled by Brazilian Carlos Augusto in the 84th minute, before successfully converting the resulting penalty to salvage a draw for his side.

With this result, Milan’s new manager, Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim, continued his search for his first victory, having started his tenure with a 2-2 draw against Scottish side Celtic in a friendly played in Glasgow last month.

Amorim was sacked by English club Manchester United in January before taking charge of Milan to revive the club after a disappointing season in which they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

The Portuguese manager will be concerned about his players’ performance, as the team committed numerous errors and was fortunate to escape with a draw.

The match marked Milan’s first game since the death of their historic captain Franco Baresi, who wore the armband during the club’s golden era in the 1980s and 1990s.

Modric started on the bench, disappointing fans, although he received warm applause during warm-ups.

Milan imposed their control early on, thanks to the movements of young forward Alvaro Sessegnon and Nigerian Samuel Chukwueze, whose future at the club remains uncertain.

American Yunus Musah nearly opened the scoring in the 18th minute, but his powerful shot struck the left post.

Inter gradually regained possession as the first half drew to a close, before taking the lead early in the second half by exploiting defensive mistakes from Milan through Dimarco.

Modric entered the pitch in the 62nd minute to loud applause, but Milan’s struggles continued until Nkunku secured a late equalizer from a penalty.