Diego Moreira stars as AC Milan stun Inter in Derby della Madonnina

First-half goals from Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot and Diego Moreira gave AC Milan a memorable 3-1 victory over Inter Milan, ending the champions’ unbeaten start to the Serie A season and knocking them off the top of the table.

Milan, seeking a response after midweek defeat to Bologna, exploded out of the blocks at a raucous San Siro. Inside four minutes Moreira, restored to the side after injury, raced down the right, cut inside and delivered a pinpoint left-footed cross. Pulisic, unmarked, guided a header into the far corner for his fourth career goal in the Milan derby.

Six minutes later the Rossoneri doubled their lead with a moment of training-ground precision. Moreira’s low corner found Rabiot, who produced a delicate first-time chip that clipped the inside of the far post and nestled in the net. Milan legend Kaká, watching on, was seen gesturing for the recipe of the finish.

Inter, who had entered the match level with Lazio at the summit and still without a league defeat, responded. In the 22nd minute Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s corner was flicked on by Manuel Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni powered home a header his first goal in 20 Milan derbies to make it 2-1.

The visitors poured forward. Mike Maignan produced a sharp reaction save to deny Djed Spence on his Serie A debut and also kept out efforts from Çalhanoğlu, Andy Diouf and Petar Sučić as Inter threatened an equaliser before the break.

Milan, however, struck the decisive blow two minutes before half-time. After Nicolò Barella fouled just outside the area, Moreira stepped up and curled a superb left-footed free-kick up and over the wall into the top corner. The £40m summer signing from Strasbourg had a goal and two assists to his name, and San Siro erupted.

The second half was a more controlled affair. Inter dominated possession and created volume of shots, but Milan defended resolutely and restricted the champions to largely low-quality chances. A late penalty awarded to Inter was overturned after a VAR review, extinguishing any remaining hope of a comeback.

The result extended Milan’s recent dominance in the fixture a fourth successive derby win and an eight-match unbeaten run against their city rivals — while lifting Ruben Amorim’s side into the title conversation on 21 points. Inter drop off the summit on 25 points, level with Lazio but behind on goal difference, after suffering their first league defeat of the campaign.

Moreira was the undisputed star, his energy, delivery and set-piece quality defining a high-tempo Milan performance. Pulisic once again proved a thorn in Inter’s side, while Maignan’s first-half interventions proved crucial. For Inter and Cristian Chivu, questions will linger over a slow start that ultimately proved costly in a fixture they have struggled to master in recent years.