AC Milan put five points between themselves and second-placed
Inter Milan with a 3-0 win in tonight's eagerly-anticipated
derby.
Alexandre Pato was the Rossoneri's hero with a goal in each half
before Antonio Cassano completed the scoring with a late penalty as
Inter's title challenge suffered a major setback.
Both sides ended the game with 10 men with Inter's Cristian
Chivu sent off after 54 minutes and Cassano shown a second yellow
card in stoppage time.
Milan made a perfect start to the game with Pato putting them
ahead with just 45 seconds on the clock.
Gennaro Gattuso sent a pass through to Robinho, who tried to
take the ball around Julio Cesar, but saw it spill out to Pato, who
stroked it in from eight yards.
Milan claimed a penalty in the ninth minute when Clarence
Seedorf's volley struck the outstretched arm of Maicon, but referee
Nicola Rizzoli waved play on.
Inter took the sting out of Milan and started to create chances
of their own with Giampaolo Pazzini muscling his way through in the
19th minute and poking his shot straight at Julio Cesar.
There were chances at both ends as the game opened up with Pato
denied a clear run on goal by Andrea Ranocchia's awareness and Mark
van Bommel's shot deflecting off Chivu on to the crossbar with
Julio Cesar beaten.
Inter thought they had levelled in the 38th minute when Thiago
Motta's header was saved right on the goal-line by Christian
Abbiati.
Despite the Inter players' protests that the ball had crossed
the line, Rizzoli again waved play on.
Five minutes later, Samuel Eto'o, for the second time this
season, missed an open goal from just a few yards out after Esteban
Cambiasso's header found him all alone at the far post.
Inter's chances of getting back into the game were reduced when
Chivu clipped the heel of Pato as he was racing through on goal and
the Romanian was given his marching orders.
It became much easier for Milan and they doubled their lead in
the 62nd minute with Pato nodding Ignazio Abate's cross into an
open goal.
Robinho missed a hat-trick of chances to add a third with Julio
Cesar denying him each time.
It was clearly not his night and he was replaced by Cassano for
the closing stages of the game, and the Italy striker was summoned
to take a penalty after being fouled by Javier Zanetti in the last
minute.
Despite Julio Cesar's attempts to intimidate him, Cassano
dispatched the penalty before removing his shirt in
celebration.
He was inevitably shown a yellow card and it proved to be costly
as, moments later, a foul on Ivan Cordoba earned him a second
yellow to provide the only negative aspect of a near-perfect night
for Milan, who are now back on course for the Scudetto.