Mauro Icardi netted an outstanding hat-trick on Sunday night as Inter Milan defeated local rivals AC Milan 3-2 in an entertaining derby at the San Siro.
A topsy-turvy game saw the two teams exchange five goals with the Nerazzurri scoring a 90th minute winner to wrap-up their first victory over their bitter rivals in four years. The win also saw the hosts continue their unbeaten start to the 2017/18 campaign having only dropped points once so far.
Irresistible Inter
Luciano Spalletti’s men were really the first to find a foothold in the game as wideman Antonio Candreva went close. The Italian shot from range and crashed the ball against the crossbar as Inter looked for an early lead.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Suso, partnering with André Silva in the Milan attack, then tried his luck from range but dragged his effort wide of Samir Handanović’s goal. Defender Miranda also headed just wide as he connected with an Ivan Perišić free-kick.
Inter did not have to wait much longer for their opener though. Mauro Icardi well to find space in the penalty area and sweep home a deep Candreva cross to give his side a well-deserved lead.
Milan mount a recovery
The hosts were certainly in the ascendency at the San Siro and could have even extended their lead on a couple of occasions bedore the break. First, Perišić shot high over the crossbar before goal-scorer Icardi wasted the opportunity to double his contributions as he shot straight at Donnarumma in the Milan goal.
The Rossoneri did carve out a couple of opportunities though despite Inter’s first-half dominance. Former FC Porto striker Silva twice failed to beat Handanović from inside the box before Fabio Borini was also foiled by the Slovenian with a fantastic low save. The Italian was also not able to find the net with a header from inside the six-yard box.
Montella moves for change
Milan boss Montella made a surprise change after the break after he replaced summer signing Franck Kessié with Patrick Cutrone. The youngster was close to making an instant impact but his close range shot flew into the side-netting.
It did not take long for the visitors to soon restore parity though. Soon after Milan had a goal disallowed from Matteo Musacchio for offside following Silva’s shot hitting the post, Suso took control of proceedings. The Spaniard collected the ball in the Inter half and jinked his way to the penalty area. When there, he unleashed a cool, curling shot from just outside of the area that found its way inside the far post.
However, the visitors were not level for very long. Perišić danced his way to the by-line and produced a wonderful cross that found Icardi again. From there, the 24-year-old prodded home with an acrobatic finish to edge Inter ahead yet again.
Late drama at the San Siro
Whilst it appeared that Inter had all-but wrapped up their first league victory over their historic rivals since 2013, Milan stormed back into the contest with only minutes to spare. Giacomo Bonaventura latched onto a Borini cross at the far post and attempted to prod beyond Handanović. The stopper was unfortunate to see the ball bobble up off his body and into the back of the net to inadvertently put Milan back into contention.
Icardi was not finished his night’s work there though. Following a poor challenge by defender Ricardo Rodriguez in the penalty area, Inter were awarded a penalty with only minutes on the clock. The Argentine striker coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to secure his hat-trick and all three points for the Nerrazurri.
Final Thoughts
It is fair to suggest that the latest instalment of the Derby della Madonnina will go down as a classic in the history books. The hosts were by far the better side in the first period and Milan struggled to really have an impact on the clash. However, the visitors came roaring back in the second-half and were deserving of their equaliser.
Inter continued to put in an excellent showing though and did not drop their heads following Milan’s late equaliser. The former’s unbeaten start to the 2017/18 Serie A season continues ahead of the clash with Napoli next weekend. They also rise to second in the table, just two points behind the Naples outfit, making next week’s match a tantalising affair.
Elsewhere, Milan slump to tenth having lost exactly half of their matches this season. They next battle with AEK Athens in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening before a match against Genoa on Sunday at the San Siro.
Match Report
Inter: Handanović (7); D’Ambrosio (7), Škriniar (6), Miranda (7), Nagatomo (7); Gagliardini (7), Valero (8) (Éder (N/A), 85′); Candreva (7) (Cancelo (6), 73′), Vecino (7), Perišić (8); Icardi (9) (Santon (N/A), 90+3).
AC Milan: Donnarumma (6); Musacchio (5), Bonucci (6), Romagnoli (6) (Locatelli (6), 78′); Borini (6), Kessié (6) (Cutrone (7), 45′), Biglia (7), Bonaventura (7), Rodriguez (5); Suso (7); Silva (6).
Goals: Icardi (28’, 63′, 90′ PEN), Suso (56′), Handanović OG (81′)
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento
Yellow Cards: Miranda (15’), Romagnoli (22’), Vecino (25’), Gagliardini (66′), Perišić (79′), Rodriguez (89′), Icardi (90+1′), Éder (90+4′)
Red Cards: N/A
