AC Milan passed their first big challenge of the season as they beat AS Roma 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico to make it three wins from three to start the season.
The first goal came via the penalty spot when Ruben Loftus-Cheek was brought down by Rui Patricio, and Olivier Giroud confidently converted the spot kick to make it 1-0 and four goals in three games for him.
Early in the second half that advantage was doubled, with Davide Calabria winding up a cross from the right side that went all the way through to Rafael Leao, who acrobatically finished with a hooked effort that went in off the far post.
Fikayo Tomori’s red card for a second yellow threatened to make things interesting in the final stages, as did Leonardo Spinazzola’s deflected shot, but Milan held on to make it nine points out of nine heading into the international break and most importantly the derby.
Stefano Pioli opted to stay loyal to the same team that had won the opening two games of the season, with Rade Krunic at the base of the midfield, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders either side, and a front three of Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao.
After just seven minutes, Milan were awarded a penalty kick as a result of what was virtually their first attack of the game. Ruben Loftus-Cheek went on a barrelling run that saw him one-on-one with Patricio, who took him out with his studs.
A VAR review saw Rapuano point to the spot, and Giroud took on the responsibility, firing home his third penalty of the season to make it four goals for the Frenchman.
Milan continued to enjoy the better of the opening exchanges, and in the 14th minute the first Rafael Leao sprint of the game took him to the byline where he provided a perfect cut-back to Tijjani Reijnders again. However, the Dutchman saw his first-time effort blocked well.
Patricio was being tested often, and in the 21st minute an excellent cross from the left flank went all the way to the far post where Christian Pulisic was waiting. His volley was struck well, but the Portuguese goalkeeper made a smart reaction stop.
The main danger continued to come from the team in all white, and Leao was the creator when just after the half-hour mark he was put in behind the defence down the right side, cutting back onto his left foot and then again onto his right, though his dinked cross was just about cut out.
Two minutes before the break, Milan showed what they can do on the counter-attack when Theo Hernandez went on an absolute surge down the left flank, beating two men before seeing his pull-back scrambled away for a corner.
It took less than three minutes of the second half for Milan to double their lead, and it was a quite simply wonderful goal from Leao.
A cross from Davide Calabria on the right drifted into a dangerous area at the back post, where Leao was on hand to somehow hook a shot in off the far post after beating Celik to the ball.
Four minutes before the break, Milan were again knocking on the door as a dangerous cross from a wide area once again was nearly primed for Giroud to fire in but Reijnders got in the way and Patricio claimed.
Just after the hour mark, Milan went down to 10 men. Tomori had been booked earlier in the game for a poorly timed challenge, and when a ball was fed into the feet of Belotti he rolled off the Englishman and was cut down, leaving the referee with little choice despite the protests.
A change came not long after the red card as Loftus-Cheek was withdrawn for Pierre Kalulu, and not too long after Tommaso Pobega came on to bolster the midfield with Giroud making way.
Leao went on another one of his menacing runs moments after Roma had brought Lukaku on, but he was well crowded out inside the box as he looked to shoot on his right foot.
With 15 minutes left on the clock Pioli made two positive changes by bringing Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze on for Pulisic and Leao.
Given the scoreline and the fact that Milan were down to 10 men, the pressure rather predictably started coming from the home side, who seemed intent on whipped crosses to try and catch out any moment of inattention.
Roma did finally get the goal that had potentially been coming but it came via a cruel deflection. Spinazzola let fly from just outside the box and it hit a body on the way through which wrong-footed Maigna just enough to send the ball in.
In the end that would be the last bit of danger, as Milan hung on for the three points that sends them top of the league for the time being.
