This derby saw Scudetto-holders Milan tackle a side they deposed as champions in May, securing their first Serie A title for over a decade. Stefano Pioli's side prepared for the task by traveling to Sassuolo on Tuesday, but the former Inter coach was forced to settle for a goalless draw. Nonetheless, the Rossoneri remained unbeaten in their last 20 league outings - posting 13 wins in the process. No doubt they wanted to stretch the count.

🅢🅞🅤🅡🅒🅔

Captain Calabria returned at right-back for Milan, who saw Alessandro Florenzi brought off with a muscular injury in midweek, while De Ketelaere was preferred to Diaz, and Messias piped Saelemakers to a place on the right flank. Former Inter star Zlatan Ibrahimovic remained unavailable following knee surgery, joining Rade Krunic and Ante Rebic on the sidelines. However, several new signings featured on the bench, including Dest, Thiaw, and Vranckx.

MILAN XI (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Ismael Bennacer, Sandro Tonali; Junior Messias, Charles de Ketelaere, Rafael Leao; Olivier Giroud.

SUBS: Ciprian Tatarusanu, Antonio Mirante, Matteo Gabbia, Brahim Diaz, Fode Ballo-Toure, Sergino Dest, Yacine Adli, Simon Kjaer, Alexis Saelemaekers, Tommaso Pobega, Divock Origi, Malick Thiaw, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Aster Vranckx.

#MilanInter: team news 📋@_OlivierGiroud_ leads the line 💪#SempreMilan #ACMilanIsForever@Sorare pic.twitter.com/aueqhQK6Ya

— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 3, 2022

Inter began today's game one point ahead of their city rivals in the Serie A standings, having taken nine from a possible 12 so far this season. Though they later gained a measure of revenge by eliminating Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals, the most recent league derby saw Simone Inzaghi's side concede twice in the final 15 minutes to squander momentum in the Scudetto race, which they ultimately lost. In midweek, the Nerazzurri beat promoted Cremonese 3-1, bouncing straight back from defeat to Inzaghi's former club Lazio.

🎙 Lautaro to @Inter_TV: "We need to play with real character, personality and heart."#ForzaInter #MilanInter #DerbyMilano pic.twitter.com/MfmjWOqA3c

— Inter (@Inter_en) September 3, 2022

With Romelu Lukaku still ruled out by a thigh problem, Correa beat Dzeko in the battle to partner Martinez up front for Inter. Bastoni returned to Inzaghi's three-man defense on the other end, so Dimarco was dropped to the bench. Mkhitaryan joined the latter among the Nerazzurri's substitutes after recovering from injury and made his debut in the Milan Derby.

INTER XI (3-5-2): Samir Handanovic; Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, Hakan Calhanoglu, Matteo Darmian; Joaquin Correa, Lautaro Martinez.

SUBS: Andre Onana, Alex Cordaz, Federico Dimarco, Roberto Gagliardini, Robin Gosens, Danilo D'Ambrosio, Raoul Bellanova, Edin Dzeko, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Kristjan Asllani, Valentin Carboni, Francesco Acerbi.

1️⃣1️⃣⚫🔵

Powered by @play_eFootball #DerbyMilano #MilanInter pic.twitter.com/FO1or8760w

— Inter (@Inter_en) September 3, 2022

Amid a well-balanced start, the ball was in the air more than expected before kick-off, with neither side able to pin back their opponents yet. A titanic tussle between Hernandez and Dumfries on Inter's right-wing ended in the former earning a free kick for an apparent push. The pair came together afterward for a spot of shoving, and there were sure to be consequences! Both were handed a yellow.

Milan were building momentum as the half wore on, but they had to settle for an upset. INTER LEAD! The Nerazzurri stroke first! Showing a cool head amid the white-hot furnace of the derby, Brozovic stepped clear of Hernandez to slot the ball under Maignan and into the back of the net, following Correa's through-ball. That's a tidy finish from the midfield maestro, and Inter went 1-0 up at San Siro!

BROZOOOOOOOOOOO! 🙌#MilanInter 0-1 (21') #ForzaInter #DerbyMilano pic.twitter.com/wHXtkis81E

— Inter (@Inter_en) September 3, 2022

Before today the Rossoneri have failed to win any of their last six Serie A clashes with Inter as 'hosts' at the Meazza since a 3-0 victory in January 2016, and they now trail midway through the first half, but Rafael Leao was on the mood to write a different chapter with the Rossoneri.

🅢🅞🅤🅡🅒🅔

MILAN EQUALISED! Leao leveled things up in the Derby della Madonnina! The Portuguese forward fired a first-time strike after Calhanoglu gave the ball away against his former side, and Tonali fed his team-mate on the left. Handanovic got a fingertip to it, but it's not enough: 1-1 at San Siro!

Tomori was absolutely loving Rafa's equaliser 😅#SempreMilan #MilanInter #ACMilanIsForever pic.twitter.com/8pGszNvqWE

— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 3, 2022

Possession was almost equally shared between the two teams during the first half, but Milan fired in 13 shots to Inter's five - and they won 71 percent of duels to the Nerazzurri's 29.

Same problem again for Inter. Who else? Rafael Leao!!! Certainly not for the first time, Leao crossed from the left, and Milan's opening goalscorer set up their second by picking out Giroud.

⏱️ 54'
HE HAS DONE IT AGAIN IN THE DERBY!!!!! 💥#SempreMilan 2-1 #MilanInter #ACMilanIsForever @pumafootball pic.twitter.com/K8cSrWAahr

— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 3, 2022

GIROUD DID IT AGAIN! Following his second-half brace in the last league derby, Giroud struck once again!

Inter were in danger of buckling as Milan relentlessly drove forward. And that man again. Milan must be sick of him. MILAN SCORED THREE! The Rossoneri stretched their lead as Giroud returned the favor and played in Leao. There's still plenty to do for the powerful winger, who drove into the box and slotted a low-angled shot wide of Handanovic's grasp and into the bottom-right corner! Milan 3-1 Inter!

Unreal goal from an unreal player 😍#SempreMilan #MilanInter #ACMilanIsForever pic.twitter.com/atvgUhZMDW

— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 3, 2022

Inzaghi had seen enough, and Inter made a triple change in the hope of getting something from the game. It took only seven minutes to make this decision delicious. Picking up the ball on the left touchline, Darmian swung a low cross to the near post, which Dzeko then turned home for Inter's second goal. INTER WERE BACK IN IT! GAME ON!!!

FORZA! ⚫🔵#DerbyMilano #MilanInter #ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/QAF43aMHVu

— Inter (@Inter_en) September 3, 2022

With challenges flying in all over the pitch, the action was wide open, and Leao threatened to pounce again and again, but the score-line didn’t shift in any direction.

🤩 @RafaeLeao7: simply stunning 🤩#ACMilanIsForever #MilanInter #SempreMilan
Brought to you by @BitMEX pic.twitter.com/a5jcAExjtx

— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 3, 2022

Milan sits second, but Roma can push them one step down by winning today to sit top of the table while their arch-rival Inter is out of the European ticket queue in the table.

HIGHLIGHTS

Both need to respond to a remarkable encounter in very different ways as both teams kick off their Champions League campaigns in the coming week: Milan travels to Salzburg, while Inter starts at home to Bayern Munich.

---