Zlatan Ibrahimovic seemed to put an end to his rivalry with Romelu Lukaku in a show of respect in the Milan classic.
There has been a feud between the two strikers for a long time and tempers exploded in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals last month.
AC Milan veteran Ibrahimovic and Inter star Lukaku clashed and were heard exchanging personal insults shortly before the break.
As such, Sunday’s clash between the first two Serie A teams was heralded as an attractive rematch between the two frontmen.
By chance, Inter came to victory and opened four points clear of local rivals.
(Image: REUTERS)
Lukaku was the outstanding performance for the Nerazzurri, assisting Lautaro Martinez in the debut in the fifth minute and scoring the third of his team in the second half.
The Belgian cheered emphatically after shooting Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 65th minute and seemed to shout “Dio” – which means “God” – repeatedly to Ibrahimovic.
It was probably a reference to the Swede’s comments after Milan’s 2-1 victory in the derby last October, when he said: “Milan never had a king. They have a God.”
(Image: Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)
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Ibrahimovic’s comments were in turn a response to Lukaku, who in early 2020 declared “There is a new king in the city” after Inter defeated the Rossoneri 4-2 in February.
But after Lukaku shouted “Dio” to him in Sunday’s clash between the two great rivals, Ibrahimovic did not react angrily.
Instead, the replays showed the 39-year-old applauding his former Manchester United teammate as Inter’s strident celebrations continued.
(Image: Getty Images)
Will Inter kick off their triumph in the Milan classic to win Serie A? Give your opinion in the comments.
Lukaku’s goal means he is the first player in 71 years to score in four consecutive Milan derbies. It also puts him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Serie A scorers table, with 17 goals this season.
Inter are looking for their first scudetto since 2010 and coach Antonio Conte said: “Congratulations to my players, they prepared well for this game.
“Is this the best win of my coaching career? I hope the best is yet to come.”
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