Milan's Derby Heist: Moreira Turns the Table as Inter's Unbeaten Run Ends

Milan won the Derby della Madonnina 3-1 on Saturday evening, and the Serie A table tilted with it. Inter arrived at San Siro unbeaten in nine league matches this season; they left it off the top of the table, with Lazio — who had not yet played Cagliari — now leading the way. Milan moved to fourth on 21 points, four behind the leaders, with Roma third on 24. For a side rebuilding under Ruben Amorim after missing the Champions League, this was a statement.

Diego Moreira had a hand in all three Milan goals. He crossed for Christian Pulisic to head in after four minutes, delivered the short corner from which Adrien Rabiot chipped home on ten, and scored a free kick on 43. Alessandro Bastoni had headed one back for Inter on 22, but the damage was done inside the first half. It was Milan's fourth consecutive derby victory and extended their unbeaten run against Inter to eight meetings across all competitions.

Luka Modric called it possibly Milan's best performance of the season. The numbers tell a more complicated story. Inter had 57 per cent possession to Milan's 43, 19 shots to seven, eight on target to four, 11 corners to three, and 1.78 expected goals to Milan's 0.66. By chance volume, Inter created the larger share. Milan scored three times from 0.66 xG — a goals-minus-xG figure of 2.34, against an average of 0.0 across their earlier 2026/27 matches in all competitions. That is not a repeatable formula; it is a heist.

Milan's attacking output was well below their season norm. Their 0.66 xG here compares with an average of 2.29 across their earlier matches this season; open-play xG was 0.42 against an average of 1.73. They managed 12 touches in the opposition box against an average of 21, and 43 per cent possession against an average of 53.2. This was not the territorial dominance that has characterised their better displays. It was a team organised enough to survive Inter's pressure and clinical enough to punish the moments that fell their way.

That reading fits the broader pattern. Milan's recent results before this match included a 4-0 Europa League win at Salzburg, a 3-2 home win over Atalanta, a 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth, a 2-0 win at Udinese and a 2-4 home loss to Bologna. The highs have been high and the lows low. Amorim's side can beat the champions; the question is whether they can do it without needing a first-half burst of finishing that outstrips their underlying numbers.

Inter, meanwhile, remain the defending champions and pre-season favourites after winning the title with 87 points and completing a domestic double. They stayed on 25 points, level with Lazio, and their response to a first league defeat of the season will shape the title race as much as this result did. Lazio's handling of the pressure at the top is another open question, and one that will not be answered until they play.

For Milan, the derby was a reminder of what Amorim's rebuild can produce on its day. Moreira's contribution — two assists and a goal inside 43 minutes — turned the match and the table. Whether it turns Milan into title contenders is a question the next matches will answer, not this one.