Milan edge Inter in derby to keep distant title chase alive

MILAN, Italy, March 8 : AC Milan claimed a vital 1-0 home victory over city rivals Inter Milan on Sunday with Pervis Estupinan's late first-half strike offering a glimmer of hope in the Serie A title race.

Inter are top with 67 points and a seven-point gap over Milan. But Milan's hard-fought win at the San Siro stadium has sparked hope for their fans as the season enters its final phase with 10 games left for each team.

The clash - known as the "Derby della Madonnina" after a statue of the Virgin Mary on top of Milan Cathedral - has been contested since 1909.

Inter were short of attacking options as Marcus Thuram missed the match with flu, while captain and leading striker Lautaro Martinez remained an unused substitute as he continues to recover from a muscle injury.

In the 35th minute, Estupinan put Milan ahead, timing his run onto a pass played into space before calmly finishing from close range with a powerful strike.

“It is the most important goal of my life, really,” Estupinan told DAZN after the match.

“It was an enormous effort, a great performance in the first half, Inter fought back after the restart, because they are a strong side, but they still created practically nothing against us," teammate Luka Modric added.

Victory meant Milan completed a league double over Inter with identical 1-0 wins.

ALLEGRI SAYS INTER STILL FAVOURITES

Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri quickly cooled any talk of the Scudetto, stating that a top-four placement and spot in next season's Champions League is the main goal.

"We defended in an orderly way and had a few favourable situations. That said, Inter clearly remain the favourites for the championship," he said.

"Inter have a seven-point lead at the top, it’s a big advantage, they are still