Milan 3-1 Inter: Moreira scores and sets up two as Milan win a fourth straight derby

AC Milan beat Inter 3-1 at San Siro on Saturday night, with every goal coming before half-time, to end Inter's unbeaten start to the Serie A season. Milan's Christian Pulisic headed in after four minutes, Adrien Rabiot made it 2-0 on 10 and Diego Moreira struck a free-kick on 43, either side of Inter's Alessandro Bastoni scoring on 22. It was Milan's fourth derby win in a row, their first such run in 53 years according to Corriere della Sera.

Moreira makes the difference

Milan coach Ruben Amorim, in his first Milan derby, moved Moreira to the right instead of the left, and Moreira had a hand in all three goals. He beat Inter's Carlos Augusto and crossed for Pulisic's header, took the corner that Rabiot finished low, then scored from a free-kick about 20 metres out, with goalkeeper Josep Martínez a fraction late diving. Sky Sport Italia's match statistics show Moreira is only the second Milan player in 20 years to be involved in three goals in a Serie A derby against Inter, after Rafael Leão in September 2022. Pulisic's goal came after 3 minutes 45 seconds, the fastest by Milan in a Serie A derby since Alexandre Pato's in April 2011.

Inter win the numbers, not the match

Our match data shows Inter had 19 shots to Milan's 7 and 11 corners to 3, with 57% of the ball, yet they scored once from eight shots on target. Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan made seven saves, including a close-range stop from Inter's Djed Spence with Milan 2-1 up. On 74 minutes referee Marco Guida awarded Inter a penalty for a handball by Milan's Mario Gila, but VAR ruled the ball had hit his stomach and the decision was reversed.

Inter coach Cristian Chivu started with a 3-4-2-1 and Marcus Thuram as the lone striker. Lautaro Martínez was injured, and Chivu said reserve strikers Ange-Yoan Bonny and Pio Esposito had been ill with fever and vomiting; both stayed on the bench until the 82nd minute. "The approach was wrong and we have to admit it," Chivu said. "But I wouldn't throw everything away." Midfielder Nicolò Barella was blunter: "Since the start of the year we have lacked the right attitude." It was the fifth time this season, in league and Champions League, that Inter conceded twice early in a game, according to La Repubblica.

What it does to the table

Inter stay on 25 points, level with Lazio, who have played a game fewer and host Cagliari on Sunday at 15:00. Roma, 5-2 winners at Udinese earlier on Saturday, are a point behind on 24. Milan, beaten by Bologna on Wednesday, climb to fourth on 21, ahead of Como on 20, who also have a game in hand. "After the Bologna game the stadium felt like a cemetery. Today there are people thinking about the title," Amorim said, but he stopped short of promising anything: "Is the Scudetto possible? I don't know. We have to be very honest with the fans."