Nine-man Inter stun AC Milan to go nine points clear in Serie A title race

Inter Milan's Brazilian midfielder Thiago Motta (left) fights for the ball with AC Milan defenders Guiseppe Favalli (centre) and Thiago Silva during the Italian Serie A football match yesterday. PICs/AFP

The champions played for more than an hour with a numerical disadvantage after Wesley Sneijder was sent off but they dominated throughout to earn a richly deserved victory.

Milan may still have a game in hand on their neighbours but the psychological effect of such a crushing defeat will make the gap seem all the wider.

Milan may have come into the game as the form team in Serie A but Inter were clearly the more pumped up early on.

First strike
Inter deservedly took the lead on 10 minutes as Pandev's ball over the top saw Diego Milito get behind Ignazio Abate in the inside left channel and shoot low across Dida and into the far corner.

Inter were dominant and Sneijder was running the show but the referee changed that before the half hour was even up.

Inter centre-back Lucio burst forward into midfield and went down rather easily under a challenge but seeing that he still had the ball he got up and went to carry on, only for the referee to stop the game and book him for diving.

Inter were incensed and Sneijder sarcastically applauded the referee u2014 an offence usually meriting a yellow card but he received a red card, though, it was unclear whether he had also verbally abused the referee.

Inter knuckled down, though, with stalwarts Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso looking to control the midfield.

On 65 minutes Giuseppe Favalli brought down Maicon on the edge of the box and Pandev stepped up to curl home a free-kick Dida could do nothing about.

Milan could only muster wild pot shots from distance in the closing stages. In injury time Lucio was dismissed for a second booking as he gave away a penalty but Julio Cesar plunged to his right to beat out Ronaldinho's effort and complete Milan's misery.

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