AC Milan cruise to derby victory over Inter
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ByEurosport
Updated 31/01/2016 at 23:23 GMT
Serie A, San Siro– AC Milan 3 (Alex 35, Bacca 73, Niang 77) Inter Milan 0
AC Milan's Carlos Bacca celebrates
Image credit: AFP
Alex, Carlos Bacca and M'Baye Niang were on the scoresheet, as AC Milan secured a crucial Derby della Madonnina victory with a 3-0 win over Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Inter Milan, who were top of the league just a month ago, crashed to their fifth defeat of the Serie A season to leave Roberto Mancini's side well off the pace.
Inter now lie nine points behind leaders Napoli after 22 matches, but the victory sees Milan consolidate their sixth position, and Sinisa Mihajlovic's side are now just six points behind Fiorentina in the third and final Champions League position.
The match turned on Inter substitute Mauro Icardi's penalty miss on 69 minutes, with Milan leading 1-0 thanks to Alex's first-half header from Keisuke Honda's cross.
Had the Inter club captain beaten Milan's 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from 12 yards it would have been game on, but the Argentine hit the post, and within eight minutes it was game over rather than game on as Bacca and Niang netted further goals for the home side.
To complete Inter's misery, manager Mancini can expect a summons from the Italian FA on Monday morning after receiving his marching orders for dissent following an earlier Inter penalty claim.
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AC Milan's Alex celebrates after scoring against Inter Milan.
Image credit: Reuters
KEY MOMENTS
7' – CHANCE! Juan Jesus puts a peach of a cross to the back post but Eder tries to head back across goal when the goal was gaping!
9' – SAVE! This is a great start to the match! Milan goalkeeper Gigio Donnarumma is down to his right to beat out a Marcelo Brozovic effort from the edge of the area.
5' – GOAL! AC Milan 1-0 Inter Milan. Alex heads Honda's cross from the right past Handanovic, for his second Serie A goal of the season. The Milan corner from which Alex eventually scored came after Miranda had cleared a cross from Honda in his own six-yard box.
49' - PENALTY SHOUT! The referee gives a penalty - then changes his mind! Donnarumma seems to take out Eder after the pair compete for the ball following a mistimed hack clear by the 16-year-old goalkeeper, but I think the official behind the goal says it was no foul.
68' - PENALTY! Alex brings down Icardi, as the pair compete for the loose ball following Donnarumma's save from Icardi down the right channel.
69' - HITS THE POST! Icardi goes to the right, but sidefoots it against the post! Icardi waits for Donnarumma to move, and he doesn't, and he puts off Inter's top scorer!
73' – GOAL! AC Milan 2-0 Inter Milan. Niang floats in a sumptuous ball from the right, and Bacca runs past Miranda to volley home from six yards off his calf.
77' – GOAL! AC Milan 3-0 Inter Milan. It is a rout now, as Mbaye Niang sidefoots home at the second attempt after Handovic can only save his first effort from Bonaventura's pass.
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nter Milan's Mauro Icardi reacts after missing a penalty kick during the match against AC Milan
Image credit: Reuters
KEY STATS
Inter Milan have lost three and drawn two of their last six Serie A matches, scoring just four goals in the process.
AC Milan have lost only one of their past 13 games in all competitions.
The last time AC Milan scored three goals in a Serie A derby was back in April 2011.
TALKING POINT – How good can Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma be?
One of Italy's greatest goalkeepers, Gianluigi Buffon, also made his debut as a teenager, and Donnarumma has the talent and the mindset to match the Juventus legend.
Donnarumma's first Milan derby was not faultless, with a couple of nervy and misjudged forays from his goal, but he did not let that bother him, and can surely claim half an assist for Mauro Icardi's penalty miss.
The Argentine likes to wait for the goalkeeper to move at penalties, before rolling the ball the other way, but Donnarumma stayed tall and motionless, and psyched the Inter captain out.
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AC Milan's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma celebrates after his team mate Carlos Bacca scored against Inter Milan
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH - Alex (AC Milan)
The Brazilian opened the scoring against Inter with a fine header, the first headed goal the best defence in Serie A have conceded all season, but “The Tank” wins the man-of-the-match award for an assured display at the heart of Sinisa Mihajlovic's back four.
Great defending doesn't always need a tackle or a header – sometimes positioning and awareness is all. And Alex's standout moment, a 20th-minute interception to cut out an Ivan Perisic pass to Eder from the right channel, was all about game sense and timing.
PLAYER RATINGS
AC Milan: Donnarumma 7, Abate 7, Alex 9, Romagnoli 7, Antonelli 6; Honda 8, Montolivo 7, Kucka 7, Bonaventura 7, Niang 6., Bacca 6. Subs: Bertolacci 6, Boateng 6, Balotelli 6.
Inter Milan: Handanovic 7, Santon 7, Miranda 6, Murillo 7, Juan Jesus 6; Brozovic 6, Medel 5, Perisic 7, Eder 6, Ljajic 6, Jovetic 6. Subs: Icardi 5, Melo 6, Telles 6.
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