AC Milan beat Inter 3-1 in the Milan derby at San Siro on Saturday. Christian Pulisic and Adrien Rabiot scored in the first ten minutes, and Diego Moreira set up both goals before he scored a free kick of his own.
It was Inter’s first league defeat of the season. Cristian Chivu’s team had gone nine Serie A games without losing before this one.
Two goals in ten minutes
Milan started fast. In the fourth minute, Moreira got past Carlos Augusto on the right and crossed for Pulisic, who headed in.
Six minutes later it was 2-0. Moreira took a short corner and played the ball to Rabiot, who got away from his marker and turned it in at the far post.
Inter hit back on 22 minutes. Hakan Calhanoglu swung in a corner, Manuel Akanji flicked it on, and Alessandro Bastoni headed in at the far post.
Moreira’s free kick
Inter pushed for an equaliser, and Mike Maignan had to make some big saves. He made a quick reaction save to stop a shot from Spence and tipped a long effort from Calhanoglu over the bar.
Just before half-time Milan got the third goal. Nicolò Barella fouled Yunus Musah on the edge of the box, and Moreira sent the free kick over the wall and into the net.
In the second half Marcus Thuram had a header saved, and a penalty given to Inter for handball was taken back after a VAR check. Milan held on.
What Chivu said
“It hurts to lose a Derby, especially when we had hoped for a different outcome,” the Inter coach said after the game.
He said his team need to “rediscover our humility” and find their hunger and fighting spirit again. He also gave credit to the winners. “AC Milan played very well and deserve credit,” he said.
Chivu said injuries and illness forced him to change his plans. Inter now travel to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Our take
Milan were sharper from the first whistle, and Moreira was the difference. Two assists and a goal in a derby is a night he will remember for a long time.
For Inter, one defeat after nine games without one is no crisis. But they were 2-0 down after ten minutes, one of the goals from a corner, and Chivu will not be happy with that. The trip to Rotterdam gives them a quick chance to reply.
Who was the best player in the derby, Pulisic, Rabiot or Moreira? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Christian Pulisic by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0), Diego Moreira by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0), Adrien Rabiot by Bryan Berlin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
