Top-4 finish still possible: Milan coach Icardi hat trick lifts Inter in derby
Mauro Icardi scored a hat trick as Inter Milan kept pace with leaders Napoli with a 3-2 defeat of city rivals AC Milan in a fiery Serie A derby clash on Sunday.
Inter skipper Icardi sealed victory from the spot in the final minute in front of 80,000 spectators at the San Siro to complete his hat trick after also scoring on 28 and 63 minutes.
Spanish forward Suso (36) and Giacomo Bonaventura (81) had twice put AC Milan back on level terms in the “Chinese” derby between two clubs fueled by multimillion dollar investments by their Chinese owners.
With Juventus losing 1-0 to Roma on Saturday, Luciano Spalletti’s Inter are now alone in second place, within two points of Napoli who they face this weekend.
“Scoring three goals in a derby is something special,” said Icardi.
“The important thing is that Inter won. It’s too early to talk about a Scudetto challenge.”
Napoli maintained their perfect run of eight wins from eight games with Lorenzo Insigne scoring the only goal in a victory over Roma.
Juventus are third after Ciro Immobile’s second-half brace for Lazio condemned the reigning champions to a 2-1 defeat, their first at home in over two years.
Lazio, equal on 19 points, are fourth on goal difference, with Roma four points adrift in fifth.
AC Milan dropped to 10th place after their fourth defeat piled the pressure on coach Vincenzo Montella.
“Looking at the table right now, everything might seem out of reach, but the season is very long and we can make up ground,” insisted Montella.
“This squad has quality, despite what some might say, and I thought even a draw would have been hard on us today considering all the chances created.
“I think a top-four finish is absolutely possible.”
In a tense first half in the Derby della Madonnina, the first chance came after a quarter of an hour when Antonio Candreva hit the crossbar.
Inter took the lead with Icardi picking up a Candreva cross on 28 minutes.
Patrick Cutrone came on after the break and lifted Milan who got back into the game thanks to a beautiful curling Suso effort.
But Icardi restored Inter’s advantage from an Ivan Perisic cross before Bonaventura slid in to make it 2-2 with Samir Handanovic unable to clear.
Ricardo Rodriguez brought down Danilo D’Ambrosio and 24-yearold Icardi converted to earn the praise of Spalletti.
“He [Icardi] has strength, dynamism, technique. He is an allaround player, who for his age knows how to shoulder responsibility,” said the Inter coach.
Earlier, Torino lost ground on the Serie A leaders after a 2-2 draw at Crotone as Atalanta also slipped up with a 3-1 defeat at Sampdoria.