Among the many topics picked apart after the derby, one of the most important is missing: let's talk about how Koni De Winter neutralized Francesco Pio Esposito with extreme ease. Esposito is a great talent for the Nerazzurri who this year has already shown he has the physique and presence needed to play in Serie A and in the Champions League with a heavy shirt like Inter’s.
A completely different story compared to the meeting with Højlund at the end of 2025: the difference in performance, just a few months apart, against two of the most important strikers in the Italian league shows several things. First of all, that De Winter is a player with potential who can grow when he feels trusted. Then, that this year Milan finally looks like a healthy environment in which players can express themselves more calmly despite the normal pressures. Last year neither Bartesaghi nor De Winter would have had the right peace of mind in that situation.
From the “3” rating he was unfairly given after the Supercoppa match against Napoli (just to give context: not even the defenders of the team that lost a Champions League final 5–0 received a “3” rating, editor’s note), it seems as though a huge amount of time has passed. In reality, it’s the same De Winter; the only difference is that after the mistake the coach continued to give him great trust, fully aware of his potential. After all, it was coach Allegri himself who first launched him into professional football when he was managing Juventus.
The ex Juventus head coach didn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, and now he has a player who is confident, perfectly integrated with the group, highly professional, and capable of covering every role in a three-man defense. De Winter still prefers the right-center position, but whether playing centrally or shifted to the left in place of Pavlovic, he has provided solid guarantees.
And on Sunday, in the duel with Pio Esposito, he won decisively. The Inter striker, despite his young age, has a very imposing physique, but the Belgian managed to make his own centimeters count with experience. With a bit of craftiness he constantly stayed on his young opponent’s back, and Esposito soon faded out of the game, managing only rarely to execute his key and dangerous hold-up play that benefits Chivu’s team so much. Of course, this was also thanks to the team’s overall defensive phase. When a team defends the right way—starting from the attackers—the defenders benefit greatly and can contribute with far more composure.
That De Winter was an intelligent young player, fully aware of what was happening around him, could already be sensed in the summer when he spoke about the possibility of joining Milan: “So many emotions, I can’t describe them. I don’t know how to say it—it doesn’t feel real, it’s truly a dream. Not everyone gets to wear the Milan shirt; I want to enjoy every moment and everything about it.”
A fair point: Milan is not for everyone, and you have to earn it by working seriously every day. And that’s how you go from a “3,” perhaps given a bit too lightly, to being in the top three defenders in the league for performances this season, as pointed out via Milan News.
