MILAN (Reuters) -Inter Milan came from a goal down to salvage a 1-1 derby draw against AC Milan with Stefan de Vrij snatching an added-time equaliser at the San Siro on Sunday, as they missed the chance to go provisionally top of the Serie A standings.
The draw keeps Inter second on 51 points, two behind leaders Napoli who take on AS Roma later on Sunday, while Milan remain eighth in the standings on 35 points.
Milan looked set to claim a hat-trick of wins over their rivals this season, with Tijjani Reijnders putting them ahead on the stroke of halftime, but after hitting the upright three times, Inter found the late goal to snatch a hard-earned point.
There was a cagey, patient opening to the game, with both sides guilty of sloppiness in their build-up play, all too easily losing possession.
Inter twice had the ball in the net in the first half, but both Federico Dimarco and Lautaro Martinez had their goals chalked off for offside.
Apart from those false alarms there was little in the way of real chances until Inter keeper Yann Sommer palmed away a ferocious strike from Reijnders, but just before the break Milan gained the upper hand.
Sommer saved again, this time from Rafael Leao, but the keeper couldn't hold onto the shot and when the ball fell just outside the six-yard box, Reijnders pounced to blast his shot into the roof of the net.
It was a more frantic start to the second half, with Milan keeper Mike Maignan saving with his legs from Martinez in the opening minute as Inter chased the equaliser from the off.
Inter had another goal disallowed, this time for a foul by Denzel Dumfries on Theo Hernandez and then Yann Bisseck thumped a header off the upright, as the away side continued to pile on the pressure.
Simone Inzaghi emptied his bench, even sending on midfielder Nicola Zalewski who only joined Inter on loan from Roma late Saturday night.
The Milan defence, with Kyle Walker making his debut, continued to hold firm with the help of the woodwork, as Marcus Thuram's volleyed effort came back off the post late on and in added time Dumfries's towering header hit the upright.
Inter streamed forward, and when Bisseck sent a cross to the back post, Zalewski was there to chest the ball down and De Vrij hit a first-time shot beyond Maignan to stretch his side's unbeaten league run to 17 games.
(Reporting by Trevor StynesEditing by Toby Davis)
