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Romelu Lukaku capped Inter Milan’s triumph in the Milan derby by beating AC Milan 3-0 to move four points clear at the top of Serie A.
Antonio Conte’s team rejoiced in the counterattack and took the lead after five minutes. Lautaro Martínez headed home unmarked from near a Lukaku center.
The Argentine finished off a magical team play to double the lead by tapping from an Ivan Perisic cutoff after Christian Eriksen’s pass that split the defense (57).
Then Lukaku put the nail in the coffin with a sensational solo run as he scooped the ball up in the center circle and advanced through the middle before beating Gianluigi Donnarumma on his first post.
The three points put Inter four points clear of AC Milan at the top of the league, a week after overtaking their rivals in the city, who had been leaders since October.
Inter players celebrate their 3-0 win at the end of the match
How Inter dominated the throbbing Milan derby
League leaders Inter headed into the clash after having had a full week off and it showed in the early stages as they applied some instant pressure to the bottom line of their rivals.
Lukaku made the decisive advance when he ran over Hernandez down the right flank twice trying to feed Martinez into the six-yard box, and it was a lucky second time when his center caught his attacking partner unmarked to hit the Inter the advantage.
Lautaro Martínez celebrates after scoring in the Milan derby
Antonio Conte’s full-backs pushed high up the field, with Ivan Perisic creating multiple starts, notably a cross near the post that begged to be brought home by Lukaku, but the Belgian was misled by the rebound and failed to turn from close range. encompass.
The forward had a chance to redeem himself, but his effort at the near post was repulsed by Donnarumma and Martinez was unable to contain the rebound.
Samir Handanovic kept Inter’s lead intact early in the second half as he made a 3-pointer to prevent Zlatan Ibrahimovic twice and then Sandro Tonali from scoring the equalizer.
Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez were in their prime when they swept AC Milan in the derby
But despite all the pressure from AC Milan, Lukaku initiated another magical Inter counterattack that ended with Martinez tapping home a second from a Perisic cut.
Inter found themselves three points up shortly thereafter, when Lukaku deservedly scored in his fifth consecutive Milan derby, catching Donnarumma at his first post with a powerful shot after a sensational solo career against him.
Ibrahimovic left the pitch with 15 minutes remaining when AC Milan tried to score a consolation goal in the final stages, but Handanovic denied it again.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic slashed a dejected figure by failing to leave a mark on Sunday afternoon
The 3-0 victory is a serious declaration of intent on the part of Antonio Conte, who is by no means flattered by the score and has now taken control of the Scudetto race in his quest to return the title to the San Siro.
Poor AC Milan will regret losing their ability to really put Inter’s defense to the test, with Ibrahimovic enduring a torrid afternoon, and his title credentials will be put to the test once again when he takes on third-place Roma, next weekend.
Man of the match – Romelu Lukaku
Often criticized for his performances at the big games, Lukaku silenced all conversations and delivered a riveting performance for the entire 90 minutes.
Four minutes later, he fired up the afterburners and showed off his team player qualities by selecting Martinez with a peach from a cross.
During the game, it was the goal that Inter craved. He held the ball up, waited for Hakimi and Perisic’s constant runs on the wings, fed them and scooped up any extra balls around the box, dictating the pace of the play even from his forward position.
Romelu Lukaku celebrates his team’s 3-0
That was the case with the second goal, as he showed incredible strength, vision and awareness of his teammates’ movements as he launched a sensational counterattack with a simple movement down the middle line.
However, there was nothing simple about his goal, an incredible solo career and an ending worthy of winning any football game, let alone the most important game of the Serie A season so far.
He managed to score in his fifth straight Milan derby, each and every one of them since joining the club in August 2019. Lukaku looked utterly unplayable on Sunday and if Inter win the Scudetto in May, his star will take one much of the credit.
Whats Next?
AC Milan will look to ensure their progression to the Europa League round of 16 when they host Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night at 8pm. They then travel to face Rome at 7.45pm on Sunday night.
Inter Milan will continue their quest for a first Serie A title in 11 years against Genoa at San Siro on Sunday, kick-off at 2pm.
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