Derby Blitz — Milan Rip Inter 3–1 at San Siro

The Derby della Madonnina was effectively decided before Inter had time to settle. Milan scored twice in the first ten minutes at San Siro, restored their cushion with a free kick that will live in derby folklore, then spent the second half repelling wave after wave to beat Inter 3–1 — a fourth consecutive derby victory, and Inter's first Serie A defeat of the season.

It took three minutes and forty-five seconds. Diego Moreira drove down the right, checked back onto his left foot and stood up a cross to the far post, where Christian Pulisic twisted a header into the far corner. One day after signing his new contract through 2031, the American had his fourth goal in eight derbies — and Milan were off to a start from another era.

Six minutes later it was two. A short-corner routine found Adrien Rabiot peeling away from his marker at the near post, and he swept Moreira's delivery in first time, off the far post. It was the fifth straight league game in which Rabiot had contributed to a goal — a run only Kaká and Hakan Çalhanoğlu have matched for Milan in the 20-team era. Inter had not trailed by two goals inside the first ten minutes of a league game since December 2016 — in the derby itself, nothing like it had been seen since 1949.

Inter, unbeaten and joint top of the table, answered the way champions should. Manuel Akanji flicked on a corner at the near post and Alessandro Bastoni headed home from six yards on 22 minutes, and at 2–1 the derby had a pulse again.

Then Moreira finished his masterpiece. Already the provider of both Milan goals, the Belgian curled a 43rd-minute free kick over the wall and into the near corner, leaving Josep Martinez unsighted — the 500th goal in the history of this fixture in Serie A. Two assists and a goal, all before halftime, in the biggest game of his life.

The second half was a siege that produced no breakthrough. Inter finished with 19 shots to Milan's seven, eight on target, eleven corners and 57 percent of the ball — and nothing to show for it. Mike Maignan and the Milan block in front of him held the line, Pulisic departed to an ovation on 82 minutes, and the Rossoneri saw out a win that felt bigger than three points.

It was the perfect response to Wednesday's 4–2 defeat at Bologna. Milan climb to fourth, four points behind Inter, who stay joint-top with Lazio but are now winless in eight straight derbies, beaten in the last four. In the first derby since the Stadio Meazza turned 100 — with a new stadium's plans unveiled just two days ago — the old ground got a classic: a blitz, a stunner, and a statement that this city's balance of power is not shifting back any time soon.