MILAN: Crisis-hit Inter Milan enjoyed a morale-boosting 3-2 win over AC Milan in an entertaining Derby Della Madonnina on Sunday to move back above their city rivals in the Serie A standings.

Matias Vecino and Stefan de Vrij scored at the start of each half for Inter, and Lautaro Martinez converted a penalty, either side of Milan goals from Tiemoue Bakayoko and Mateo Musacchio.

Inter moved third, two points above Milan and six ahead of fifth-placed AS Roma. The top four qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Nerazzurri were eliminated after the group stage of this year’s competition and also went out of the Europa League on Thursday.

“Our history is clear, we are Inter so it’s normal for us to be criticized after getting knocked out,” coach Luciano Spalletti said. “We did well to put it straight behind us, showing the right attitude again as a team. You need to have players who can turn things around completely, they are the ones that always make the difference. Everyone had Milan as the favorites and it wasn’t easy to take charge of the game.”

The Rossoneri came into the match on a run of five successive league wins. In contrast, Inter had won only one of their last five matches in all competitions and had a number of players out with injury and were still without forward Mauro Icardi. He has not played in more than a month, since being stripped off his captaincy amid protracted contract negotiations.

“Only crazy people and idiots could have thought that today would be a walk in the park for us,” said Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso. “We gave too much of the pitch to our opponents and that wasn’t a problem only of the defense but of the whole team. We didn’t have the right attitude.”

Inter took the lead with less than three minutes on the clock. Lautaro headed down a cross from Ivan Perisic and Vecino was left unmarked to volley the ball into the roof of the net.

Inter extended their lead six minutes after the break when, following a short corner, De Vrij headed in Matteo Politano’s cross.

Milan pulled one back six minutes later when Bakayoko headed in a free kick for his first goal for the Rossoneri but Inter restored their two-goal advantage shortly after as Lautaro drilled home a spot-kick after Politano had been felled by substitute Samu Castillejo.

There was a frantic finale after Musacchio reduced the deficit again in the 71st, tapping in after Inter goalkeeper Samir Hand­anovic managed to prevent an own-goal from Danilo D’Ambrosio.

RONALDO RESTED AS JUVE LOSE

Cristiano Ronaldo was rested and Juventus crashed to their first Serie A defeat of the season as they lost 2-0 at Genoa earlier on Sunday.

Ronaldo had fired Massimiliano Allegri’s side into the Champions League quarter-finals with a comeback victory over Atletico Madrid last Tuesday.

Juventus had won 24 of their 27 previous matches in Serie A this season with three draws.

“It’s not a tragedy, but I’m sorry because we wanted to remain unbeaten,” said Allegri. “You can’t play all the games at your maximum. The Champions League match certainly weighed heavy.”

Ex-Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro, 26, playing his first game after ten months out with a tendon injury, scored just two minutes after coming off the bench. Another substitute Goran Pandev sealed victory for Geno with ten minutes to go.

Juve’s lead at the top of the table was cut to 15 points by Napoli who got back winning, prevailing 4-2 against Udinese after goalkeeper David Ospina collapsed on the pitch after suffering a head injury.

The on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper was later given the all clear following a CT scan at a Naples hospital. The Colombian international had collided with Udinese striker Ignacio Pussetto minutes into the game, before collapsing just before half-time.

“Fortunately it’s nothing serious, he’s conscious, they did a CT scan that is negative, he’ll remain under observation tonight,” said coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Amin Younes curled in his first Serie A goal after 17 minutes, with Jose Callejon connecting with a Dries Mertens cross for the second on 26 minutes.

But Kevin Lasagna and Seko Fofana got two past Ospina in a six-minute spell after the half-hour mark as the Colombian looked out-of-sorts after his fourth-minute collision.

Alex Meret replaced Ospina with Napoli pulling ahead when Arkadiusz Milik headed in a Callejon corner on 57 minutes, with Mertens sealing the three points on 69 minutes.

Atalanta’s European hopes were damaged by a 1-1 draw at home to bottom club Chievo Verona. Atalanta slipped to seventh, six points below Milan and level on points with Lazio, who beat Parma 4-1.

Coach Aurelio Andreazzoli steered Empoli to a 2-1 win over fellow strugglers Frosinone in his first match back in charge. Empoli moved back out of the relegation zone, a point above 18th-placed Bologna.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2019