Inter maintained their perfect start to the season with a 5-1 win over bitter Derby della Madonnina rivals AC Milan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s staring at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza won him the Serie A Player of the Week crown for Matchday 4 of the 2023/24 season.
It was the first time since March 1974 that the Nerazzurri had netted five times in the Derby della Madonnina, and the former AS Roma grabbed a brace alongside goals from Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu and Davide Frattesi. Naturally, Mkhitaryan also earned his place in our Serie A Team of the Week alongside some Inter teammates.
Mkhitaryan the man in the Madonnina
Despite having only just signed for Inter at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign, Nerazzurri supporters should have expected Mkhitaryan to be the one opening the scoring at San Siro, with the 34-year-old scoring in his last three games against the Rossoneri.
After he last netted in the Champions League semi-final win last term, on five minutes the Armenian international managed to drift unmarked into the Milan penalty area and carefully diverted a low Federico Dimarco shot past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The ex-Manchester United player later made it 3-1 on 69 minutes, albeit with a fortune deflection after receiving a Lautaro Martinez pass on the edge of the box and provided the fifth for Frattesi deep in injury time, with a perfectly weighted through-ball.
Inter take charge of Serie A title race
Ahead of the game with their Milanese neighbours, the Rossoneri were also unbeaten and an excellent summer transfer window had put them amongst the favourites for the Scudetto. However, under coach Simone Inzaghi, the Nerazzurri have now won a club record five consecutive fixtures against Milan.
With reigning champions Napoli struggling to keep pace and with Inter looking solid in defence despite the losses of goalkeeper Andre Onana and centre back Milan Skriniar – the Rossoneri consolation goal from Rafael Leao was the first conceded this term – the Nerazzurri look ready to reclaim a title last secured in 2020/21.
