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AC Milan played their second summer friendly out in Australia on Wednesday, drawing 1-1 with Inter in a derby down under. After opening their preseason account with a 2-2 draw at Celtic park the weekend before last, this was another good indicator of where Ruben Amorim’s side are at in their preparations for the new season, as they could compare themselves with a direct rival who won the league last season. Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial! Despite being a ‘friendly’ in name, was a fiercely contested game at the Optus Stadium, with some yellow cards even needed. Federico Dimarco gave the Nerazzurri the lead in the 52nd minute before Christopher Nkunku equalised from the penalty spot in the 84th, with 1-1 being the final score. As was the case with the game in Glasgow there were encouraging and worrying signs, but it was another game that provided valuable insights as Milan’s work getting to grips with the Amorim system and philosophy continues. Below is a brief tactical analysis from Rohit Rajeev. Pressing and patterns Forget the scoreline. Milan’s derby against Inter in Perth was about understanding Amorim’s ideas. This thread looks at the tactical patterns, positives, and the areas that still need work. Milan are pressing with five players high up the pitch. Camarda, Cisse, Loftus-Cheek, Musah and Fofana are leading a man oriented press designed to suffocate build up. Milan’s six man press needs better organisation. Barella’s drop created a 7v6 overload, and Inter played through it too easily. So, there is plenty to improve in this regard, with time and fitness. — Rohit Rajeev (@RohitRajee23232) August 6, 2026 Transition moves One of Milan’s biggest positives: transitions. Aggressive ball-oriented pressing, forcing a midfield turnover and a shot within eight seconds. This is one of the rules Ralf Rangnick famously tries to embed. — Rohit Rajeev (@RohitRajee23232) August 6, 2026 Below is a brilliant attacking pattern from Milan. Cisse dropped deeper, Musah attacked the space, Chukwueze delivered, and Camarda’s movement deserved a finish. — Rohit Rajeev (@RohitRajee23232) August 6, 2026 Milan baited Inter’s press perfectly. Cisse dropped to open space between the lines, Torriani found it, but Loftus-Cheek wasn’t in position to attack Camarda’s knockdown. — Rohit Rajeev (@RohitRajee23232) August 6, 2026 Improvements and worries One subtle improvement under Amorim: Milan now mix zonal and man marking at corners, making it much harder for runners to exploit the box. If Milan want to play with a high line, the counter press has to be relentless. One loose pass was enough for Inter to find huge space. Habits of Allegri has to be removed if Milan have to be successful. Here we can see Modric and Jashari occupying the same space and nearly stepping on each other’s toes. In positional football it is sacrilege to occupy same space. Lastly Inter baited Milan into pressing and created the huge gap between Milan’s second and third line of defence. It was a recurring problem under Pioli and Fonseca, so Amorim must find solutions.