AC Milan beats Inter Milan 1-0 in Serie A derby

Milan: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored with an early penalty to give AC Milan a 1-0 win against former team Inter Milan and end a run of three losses in the Serie A derby.

In pic: Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic converts from the penalty sport against former club Internazionale.

The Sweden forward converted his spot kick past goalkeeper Luca Castelazzi in the fifth minute yesterday at the San Siro after he was brought down by Marco Materazzi. It was Ibrahimovic’s first Milan derby since leaving Inter for Barcelona in 2009.

Milan leads the standings with 26 points, one more than Lazio. Napoli is third with 21, and Juventus and Inter have 20 points.

“It wasn’t an easy goal as it was in front of the Inter fans at their home game, but I did what I had to do and tried to concentrate,” Ibrahimovic said. “I think it gave the team confidence and we became more calm and it helped us win.