AC Milan 0-3 Inter Milan
The 2020/21 Scudetto is Inter’s to lose now, after Antonio Conte’s team put on a ruthless performance to see off AC Milan at the San Siro.
The winners of this game had the top of Serie A in sight and Lautaro Martinez headed Inter ahead in an explosive start to the match, before making it a double early in the second half to take the game away from AC Milan.
Romelu Lukaku added a third as Inter ran out comfortable winners at SBOTOP odds of 2.07. Having been knocked out of the Champions League and Coppa Italia earlier in the month Conte’s players had more time to prepare than their opponents, and it showed as I Rossoneri came up short at both ends of the pitch.
The Serie A 2021 betting odds back a Nerazzurri title, with Juventus now the biggest threat.
Highlights of the game
Two of Europe’s hottest strikers have been firing the Milan clubs to the top of the table. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku started the game with 14 and 16 goals, and it was Inter’s Belgian hit man who made an immediate impact. But it was as a provider rather than scorer when he broke through the Rossoneri defence on five minutes. Lukaku sped past Theo Hernandez and, after Alessio Romagnoli cut out his intended pass to Martinez, he steadied himself with the ball back at his feet and sent in an inch-perfect cross for the unmarked Argentine to head home his 12th league goal of the season.
Inter continued to boss the game in the early stages, though Ibrahimovic tried an audacious back-heel after the Nerazzurri defence failed to deal with a Hernandez cross, but keeper Samir Handanovic collected comfortably. As the first half evolved Milan had a period of possession while Inter were happy to play on the break, and the visitors threatened again when Marcelo Brozovic fed Lukaku, but this time the Belgian fired wide. And then when Ivan Perisic got to the bi-line and squared Lukaku completely missed his shot with the goal gaping.
As Inter continued to threaten Lukaku forced a good save from Gianluigi Donnarumma at his near post and Martinez couldn’t convert the loose ball. At the other end Ibrahimovic latched on to a headed pass from Ante Rebic and hit a volley but it was too close to Handanovic.
Milan cane out for the second half all guns blazing and the Inter keeper made a brilliant double save to deny Ibrahimovic. First the big Swede glanced a header which Handanovic palmed away, and when the return cross came in Ibra rose to power a header towards goal but the Inter keeper saved again. Handanovic was at it again, on 49 minutes, to get a hand to an effort from Sandro Tonali when his effort was destined for the roof of the net.
And the Inter keeper’s efforts were rewarded when his team doubled their lead with a brilliant flowing move. Christian Eriksen switched the ball to Perisic who crossed for Martinez to poke home his second.
Then, midway through the second half Lukaku finally got his goal. Donnarumma had denied him again moments earlier but, as Milan poured players forward, the Belgian hit them on the break, collecting the ball in the centre circle and powering forward before driving an unstoppable shot past Donnarumma.
Game over.
Key statistics
Inter were totally dominant in their victory over Lazio last week but this was a hard-fought match, as every Milan derby is. Once Martinez doubled the lead, just before the hour, I Nerazzurri became more comfortable and Lukaku’s goal took him to the top of the race for the Capocannoniere, with 17, one ahead of Juve’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Belgian striker has forged a lethal partnership with Martinez and they have now combined for six goals in Serie A, more than any other duo.
Conte’s team are on a hot streak of form, unbeaten in six.
What’s next?
The Serie A 2021 updates will be coming from Turin tomorrow where Juventus host Crotone; and then European football is back in midweek when I Rossoneri host Red Star Belgrade in their Round of 32 Europa League tie. Stefano Piolo’s side have the advantage with a 2-2 first-leg draw in the bag and the away goals could be crucial. It could have been even better when Hernandez gave Milan a 2-1 lead but Red Star scored a last gasp equaliser to leave the tie in the balance.
Next Sunday Milan are back in Serie A action when they head to the capital to take on Roma; and that will be a tough examination against Paulo Fonseca’s team which has climbed into Champions League contention and will go into a Monday night fixture against Benevento in third place.
Meanwhile, Inter have a week off before they return to action at home to Genoa, and that won’t be a pushover as their opponents have climbed away from the relegation zone thanks to a run of three wins and three draws from the last six.
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