Video: Derby of anger in Rossoneri colours: Milan beat Inter by three
Moreira sets San Siro alight
Milan imposed their will in the derby of fury, beating rivals Inter 3-1 in a match they began with lightning intensity. They then held firm against the fightback to maintain their superiority over the Nerazzurri in recent meetings.
Christian Pulisic put Milan ahead in the fourth minute. Adrien Rabiot made it two in the 10th, before Alessandro Bastoni pulled one back in the 22nd.
Two minutes before the break, the star of the evening settled it. Belgian Diego Moreira grabbed the third himself (44'), having already provided two assists.
Early shock: two goals in the first 10 minutes
Milan did not wait long to open the scoring. In the fourth minute, Moreira set off down the right flank, skipped past Carlos Augusto and whipped in a precise cross. Christian Pulisic rose highest to head home and put the hosts ahead.
Six minutes later, Moreira turned provider again. He took a short corner, got the ball back on the edge of the box and teed up Adrien Rabiot, who met it with a single sublime touch of his left foot. The ball flew into the far corner as Inter's players looked on in disbelief.
Inter went in search of a quick response. Yann Bisseck's header from a 12th-minute corner flew straight at Mike Maignan, and Milan kept threatening through Moreira, who tormented the Inter defence more than once.
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Bastoni restores Inter's lead, Mkhitaryan denies Spinazzola an equaliser
Inter gradually began to find their feet, and in the 22nd minute they pulled a goal back. Hakan Çalhanoğlu swung a corner to the near post, Manuel Akanji nodded it on to Alessandro Bastoni, and the defender steered a header into the net to make it 2-1.
The Nerazzurri almost drew level in the 35th minute. Augusto whipped in a low cross for Deyan Spence, who fired from close range, but Maignan produced a superb reaction save to keep Milan in front.
Two minutes before the break, Moreira stole the spotlight again. He stepped up to a long-range free-kick and curled it beautifully over the wall and into the net for Milan's third, capping a remarkable night of two assists and a goal.
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Inter's attempts run into Milan's defence
No changes greeted the second half, and Inter kept hunting for a way back, but their attempts lacked precision. Calhanoglu whipped in a dangerous cross towards the far post on 56 minutes, only for Carlos Augusto to glance his header wide.
Moreira nearly added another two minutes later. His cross to the far post evaded Musa and dropped to Rafael Ramos, who failed to make the most of it.
Rabiot climbed to meet a Luka Modric corner in the 65th minute, but his header cleared the crossbar. Two minutes on, Milan's defence blocked a close-range effort from Nicolo Barella. Inter rang the changes in the 72nd minute, sending on Piotr Zielinski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Calhanoglu and Andy Diouf to freshen up the midfield and attack.
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Cancelled penalty: Milan hold on to their win
Controversy erupted inside Milan's penalty area in the 74th minute. The referee pointed to the spot, convinced Matteo Gabbia had handled a Mkhitaryan cross and handing Inter a penalty. VAR had other ideas. Called to the monitor, the referee reversed his decision in the 75th minute once the replays showed the ball had struck Gabbia's chest, not his arm.
Inter chased the game with fresh legs up front, throwing on Ange-Yoan Bonny and Francesco Pio Esposito in the 82nd minute. Milan shored things up a minute later, sending on Davide Bartesaghi and Sékou Diarra, with Ardon Jashari replacing Yunus Musah.
Those final minutes saw Inter push for a way back, but Milan's defence held firm. The Rossoneri closed it out 3-1, a third win in their last four league meetings with their rivals and a ninth game unbeaten against them.
