Çalhanoğlu Penalty Nightmare! Did He Just Cost Inter the Title?!

Milan Derby Delight: Pulisic Goal, Çalhanoğlu's Penalty Nightmare, and a Shift at the Serie A Summit

Çalhanoğlu Penalty Nightmare! Did He Just Cost Int...

The roar of the San Siro (or Giuseppe Meazza, if you’re being formal) was deafening this weekend, as AC Milan managed to claw out a narrow 1-0 victory against their city rivals, Inter, in a Derby della Madonnina that had just about everything. High stakes, fierce tackles, and of course, a healthy dose of drama. Honestly, what more could you ask for from a Milan derby? The result? Well, that shifted the Serie A landscape quite significantly.

The first half was a tense affair, a real midfield battle with neither side really managing to carve out any clear-cut chances. It felt like both teams were feeling each other out, maybe a little *too* respectful of the opposition. But the deadlock was broken in the 54th minute, thanks to a tidy finish from Christian Pulisic. The American winger continued his impressive form, slotting home a crucial goal that sent the Milan faithful into raptures.

Then came the moment that everyone will be talking about: the penalty. Inter were awarded a spot-kick in the 73rd minute, a golden opportunity to equalize and potentially salvage a point. Up stepped Hakan Çalhanoğlu, the former Milan man. You could feel the pressure radiating off him, especially given his history. He struck it well enough, but Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was equal to the task, diving to his right to make a superb save. Seriously, it was a top-drawer save, the kind that can win you a match.

Talk about adding insult to injury. Just four minutes later, Inter manager decided to haul Çalhanoğlu off, replacing him with Zielinski. Ouch. I can only imagine what was going through his head. It's worth noting that this isn't the first time Çalhanoğlu has faltered from the spot while wearing the Inter shirt. Italian media outlets were quick to point out that his other penalty miss also occurred in November – November 10th, 2024, to be precise, in a 1-1 draw against Napoli. Some months are just unlucky, I guess?

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Serie A, Roma continued their impressive run with a 3-1 victory away at Cremonese. That win, coupled with Inter's slip-up, sees Roma now sitting pretty at the top of the table with 27 points. Milan’s victory puts them in second place with 25, edging out Juventus thanks to their slightly better goal difference. Inter, after this disappointing derby defeat, have dropped to fourth with 24 points. It's all change at the top, folks! The Serie A title race is shaping up to be an absolute cracker this season, and I, for one, can't wait to see how it unfolds.