Goals in five first-half minutes from Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic sent Milan on their to way to a third straight league win and moved them level on 11 points with Torino. Milan also have a superior goal difference to Torino, which would have put the seven-time European champions top if they hadn't played a game more.

Paulo Fonseca's team, who had failed to win their first three league matches of the season, could have won by more as both Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek struck the woodwork either side of half-time. The only sour note from the night was teenage defender Davide Bartesaghi being sent off for a rash challenge with 10 minutes remaining, just five minutes after replacing Hernandez.

"That's what makes football so great, things can change for the better or worse over 90 minutes," said Fonseca, who had been heavily criticised after his team were given a footballing lesson by Liverpool 10 days ago. "It was important to win ofter winning the derby... it was difficult to get our feet back on the ground but the players knew what needed to be done and won the match."

Milan now travel to Germany to take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday with their tails up and key attacking players in fine form. Pulisic's tap-in two minutes from the break was his fourth goal in as many matches for Milan while Hernandez was back to his rampaging best, swinging in the cross for Morata's opener and lashing home the hosts' brilliant second.

Fonseca said on Thursday that Morata had been a doubt and he was taken off to keep him available for Leverkusen. "I didn't have a pre-season and have missed a lot of training sessions, so it just takes a bit longer (to get fully fit). I went off as a precaution," said Morata to Sky. Tuesday's clash in Germany will be key for Fonseca after opening their Champions League campaign with that emphatic 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on their own patch.

Champions Inter will move level with Milan and Torino if they win at Udinese in Saturday's early match, a chance to bounce back from derby defeat ahead of the visit of Red Star Belgrade to the San Siro on Tuesday. A thrashing at the hands of Milan completed a horrendous week for Lecce who sit one point and a place above the relegation zone.

Luca Gotti's team threw away a two-goal in lead against Parma last weekend by conceding a brace of stoppage-time strikes and followed that up by being dumped out of the Italian Cup by second-tier Sassuolo.

September 27, 2024

D. Bartesaghi

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