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The Antonio Conte revolution at Inter Milan continued this weekend in the Milan derby as AC Milan played hosts to the Nerazzurri. It was a rather tame performance from AC Milan as the gulf in class between the two sides was evident for much of the game.
The first half ended with Inter the better team and both sides level. Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez were denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma, while Danilo D'Ambrosio's effort hit the woodwork from close range. On the other end, Krzysztof Piatek was denied a couple of opportunities.
Marcelo Brozovic broke the deadlock just after halftime, with his low strike hitting Franck Kessie and rolling beyond the reach of Donnarumma. VAR ran a check and confirmed Martinez wasn't obstructing play.
In the 78th minute, Romelu Lukaku rewards Conte's faith in him once again by heading the ball beyond the reach of Donnarumma. Inter beat their city rivals away for a second consecutive time, returning to the summit of the Serie A once again on 12 points.
In this article, we discuss several interesting observations.
#3 Inter Milan too good for AC Milan
It may have been a game between close neighbours, however, the gulf in class was evident for much of the game. Inter never looked in trouble from the moment they took the lead, with AC Milan's just one shot on target painting a literal picture of their toothlessness for much of the encounter.
Inter dominated their opponents, especially in midfield, with Stefano Sensi running the show in a truly dominant fashion, denying his opponents the freedom to play through the middle. The Nerazzurri have now gone a whopping seven games against AC Milan without defeat, a run which stretches to January 2016.
#2 VAR continues to shine
The Video Assistant Referee has been deployed across much of Europe this season, and in the Derby della Madonnina, the service was called into action two times. In the first half, Martinez's goal was adjudged offside, and after the referee checked with VAR, the decision stood.
In the second period, Brozovic put Inter Milan ahead, however, the goal looked offside, with Martinez seemingly obstructing the view of the goalkeeper. After due consultation with the VAR, the decision was this time in favour of Inter.
Two important calls, two correct decisions.
#1 Romelu Lukaku keeps outdoing himself
The camaraderie between Lukaku and Inter Milan manager Conte was quite evident as the Belgian international raced to the dugout to celebrate with the Italian after scoring.
In two seasons at Manchester United, Lukaku didn't score in the Manchester derby, however, he's off to a flying start at Inter already with a goal in the Derby della Madonnina. In the 78th minute, Lukaku outfoxed the Milan defenders to head Nicolo Barella's cross home.
Lukaku's link-up play was also commendable, as he brought a couple of his teammates into play, including Matteo Politano who completed a neat one-two with Lukaku before shooting from outside the box and hitting the post in the 80th minute.
Lukaku may have been somewhat underappreciated at Manchester United, but he seems to be a different player for the Serie A outfit. He looks happy and the goals just keep coming.
