Diego Moreira, Pulisic shine as AC Milan stun Inter in Derby della Madonnina
AC Milan delivered a statement win in the Derby della Madonnina, beating Inter Milan 3-1 at San Siro to end their arch-rivals' unbeaten start to the Serie A season. Christian Pulisic and Diego Moreira led the charge as Milan claimed bragging rights and dealt a major blow to Inter's title push.
It took Milan less than five minutes to make their mark, with Pulisic opening the scoring after being picked out by Moreira's excellent delivery from the right. The Belgian then turned provider again, this time from a cleverly worked corner, setting up Adrien Rabiot for a superb finish in the 10th minute. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AC Milan (@acmilan)
Inter needed a response and found one through Alessandro Bastoni, who headed home from a corner in the 22nd minute after Manuel Akanji's flick-on. The goal sparked a spell of sustained pressure from the visitors, but Mike Maignan stood firm with a series of important saves to keep Milan in front.
Just when Inter appeared to be building momentum, Moreira struck again. The former Chelsea wing-back capped an impressive first-half display by curling a direct free-kick into the net in the 43rd minute, restoring Milan's two-goal cushion and giving the hosts a commanding position at the break.
Moreira was at the heart of Milan's attacking display, providing the assists for both opening goals before getting on the scoresheet himself. His contribution proved decisive in a derby where Inter had plenty of chances but struggled to get past Maignan.
The Milan goalkeeper was particularly busy before the break, denying Djed Spence from close range and keeping out attempts from Hakan Calhanoglu and other Inter attackers. He continued to frustrate the visitors after the restart, while Strahinja Pavlovic also produced an important defensive intervention to protect the lead. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lega Serie A (@seriea)
Inter kept pushing for a way back into the contest, with Marcus Thuram and Andy Diouf among those trying their luck. They also thought they had a late penalty after a handball appeal, but the decision was overturned following a VAR review, which confirmed the ball had struck Mario Gila's midsection.INTER LOSE TOP SPOT AFTER DEFEAT
The result brought Inter's nine-match unbeaten start to the Serie A season to an end and saw them lose their place at the top of the table. They dropped to second, with Lazio moving above them on goal difference.
Milan, meanwhile, climbed to fourth and moved ahead of Como, who still had a game in hand. The victory also extended their unbeaten run in the derby to five matches, giving them another reason to celebrate a memorable night at San Siro.- Ends
