Milan and Inter played out a stalemate at San Siro on Wednesday night.
It was far from a classic in Derby della Madonnina terms, but the game will be remembered for three incidents involving Inter star Mauro Icardi.
The striker had a first-half goal ruled out through VAR, and missed an open net twice in the second-half to spare the Rossoneri’s blushes.
The result leaves Gennaro Gattuso’s side eight points behind their Serie A rivals, but they will take some optimism from gaining a point in a game in which they could have easily lost.
After a tense opening to the game from both sides, Marcelo Brozovic had the first chance when he swept and effort just wide of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s right hand post.
Antonio Candreva had the next chance for the Nerazzurri as he was found by a cut-back from Joao Cancelo, though the Italy international saw his shot from a narrow angle saved. The resulting throw-in ended win Brozovic bending another effort wide from 20 yards.
Milan were the next to threaten though, as a perfect inswinging ball from Hakan Calhanoglu was flicked goalwards, but Samir Handanovic produced a superb reaction saved to keep the scores level.
Patrick Cutrone had a half chance just before the half-hour mark as he was found by a flick by Giacomo Bonaventura, but his toe-poke effort was saved at stretch by Handanovic.
Moments later Ivan Perisic seemed to be in behind with a well-weighted through ball, though the Croatian took too long to shoot and Donnarumma saved well.
Having kept Icardi quiet for the opening 40 minutes, the Argentine was allowed to run through on goal and slot under Donnarumma, though VAR came to Milan’s rescue – with replays showing he was indeed inches offside.
Perisic had Donnarumma scrambling within moments of the restart as he scuffed a cross to the far post, but it looped over the goalkeeper and skimmed the bar.
Kessie had the Rossoneri’s first chance of the second-half as he was found on the edge of the box, though he sliced his half-volley wide of the far post.
Suso then found Cutrone minutes later with a neat through ball; the young striker failing to lift his effort over Handanovic from close range.
In the 56th minute San Siro was stunned as Antonio Candreva found Icardi just five yards out with an open goal to slot into, but unbelievable the 24-goal scorer skewed his effort wide.
Gattuso’s side were stretched again when Perisic found space down Inter’s left, but Donnarumma did superbly to react to the low cross which was heading to a Icardi at the far post.
Milan thought they had taken the lead in the 68th minute as Cutrone acrobatically converted a neat flick from Kessie, yet celebrations were cut short by the offside flag, which was correctly raised.
The final half-chances of the 90 minutes for Milan came in the closing stages and both fell to substitute Nikola Kalinic; the first a header over from a Calabria cross, the second a cut-back from Suso that he failed to win in the air.
Just as it seemed Icardi would be able to redeem his miss in the closing seconds, he once again spurned an open net at full stretch from a low cross.
