Inter wasted time for 25 minutes – Montella insists injury-time equaliser was fair

AC Milan boss Vincenzo Montella felt his side’s last-gasp derby equaliser on Saturday was fully justified as “Inter wasted time” for most of the second half.

The Rossoneri came from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw at San Siro, with Alessio Romagnoli scoring in the 83rd minute before Cristian Zapata struck in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

There were complaints from Inter to referee Daniele Orsato, who blew his whistle for full-time the moment after Zapata’s effort crossed the line, but Montella felt the officials were spot on in adding on time.

“Inter wasted time for the last 25 minutes, the referee noticed and he gave adequate injury time,” Montella told Premium Sport.

“The fourth official told us that, instead of five minutes of injury time, there would be six. There was a lot of time-wasting and Orsato did well.”

Montella was delighted to be able to celebrate salvaging a late point, having watched his side succumb to an injury-time Ivan Perisic strike in the 2-2 draw in November’s reverse fixture.

 “I saw 30 minutes of the first half where the team played an excellent game,” he said. “We could have moved the ball more quickly and been more clinical.

“In the last 15 minutes [of the half] we got hit twice for their goals. There was a great reaction in the second half. To come back from two goals down in the derby is exceptional.

“In the first game I saw them cheer and this time I celebrate
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d more than I usually do. I now understand the joy the Inter players felt in the first game.

“This draw is worth something extra in comparison, because there are fewer games left.”

The result keeps Milan two points above Inter in the Serie A table, with each side having just six more matches to play.