Estupiñán delivers derby delight for Milan and gives fans reason to dream | Nicky Bandini

Pervis Estupiñán called it “the most important goal of my career”. He does, admittedly, have only 12 to choose from, but to score the winner in a Milan derby is something few players ever experience. It could only feel better for having done it towards the end of a difficult first season in Italian football.

The Ecuadorian was billed as a replacement for Theo Hernández when he joined Milan from Brighton last summer, lumbered with unreasonable comparison from the start. Hernández, at his best, was one of the most effective attacking full-backs in the world. Estupiñán, at 28, is yet to put himself in that conversation, but the hope was that he could offer some of the same directness and ability to get up and down the left flank.

After a mixed start, Estupiñán sustained an ankle injury in October. Davide Bartesaghi replaced him in the side. Born in Lombardy to a Milan-supporting father, and developed in the club’s academy, the 20-year-old had a compelling narrative and performances to match.

Estupiñán’s opportunities were fewer on his return, and he has not always grasped them as he might like. A series of clumsy touches during a 1-1 draw against the relegation battlers of Fiorentina in January were held up by critics as evidence of inadequacy. “If this is Estupiñán,” ran one headline from La Gazzetta dello Sport, “then Milan have a problem.”

It did not look that way on Sunday as he ran through on goal, controlling Youssouf Fofana’s through ball with his first touch before crushing a left-footed shot into the near top corner. It was the culmination of a wonderfully constructed team move that began – as they so often do – from the feet of Luka Modric.

He had dropped all the way back to sit as Milan’s deepest man, in effect in the centre of defence. After feinting left to buy a moment from the Inter press, Modric sent the ball to Fikayo Tomori by the right touchline, who released it immediately to Fofana. The Frenchman, angling across the pitch, exchanged a one-two with Rafael Leão before leading Estupiñán into the penalty area on the far side.

Luka Modric, Niclas Füllkrug, Strahinja Pavlovic and Alexis Saelemaekers celebrate Milan’s win over their greatest rivals. Photograph: Daniele Mascolo/Reuters

This was a rehearsed move, flawlessly executed. Christian Pulisic made a run through the middle as Fofana crossed the pitch, dragging two Inter defenders with him. Estupiñán timed his sprint to get behind Inter’s wingback Luis Henrique, but if Yann Bisseck had come across to cover then the final ball could as easily have gone to the American instead.

On the sideline, Massimiliano Allegri beamed. Yet again, the Milan manager had out-schemed his opponent in a big game. The Rossoneri have not lost a league game all season against any of Serie A’s top six, taking 18 points from a possible 24. By holding on to win 1-0 on Sunday, they made this the first season since 2010-11 that they have swept their league meetings with Inter. Allegri was in charge back then, as well.

Was it a brilliant spectacle? Not especially. But it was exactly the game Milan wanted, a tactical back-and-forth in which they were able to hold the upper hand for the most part. They surprised Inter early on by pressing higher than they have typically this season, forcing their opponents to put energy into protecting the ball instead of making plans with it.

The Nerazzurri created one real opportunity in the first half, turning a loose touch by Leão into a rapid counter that ended with Henrikh Mkhitaryan running through on goal but aiming his shot too close to Mike Maignan. Within three minutes, Estupiñán had scored at the far end.

Federico Dimarco missed Inter’s best chance at an equaliser early in the second half, swiping over the bar from a layoff beside the penalty spot. For the rest of the game, Inter had plenty of the ball but few ideas as to how to break down opponents who were happy to sit on their lead.

Federico Dimarco (left) struggled to break through Milan’s defence. Photograph: Luca Bruno/AP

Very often the ball came back to Dimarco – a logical choice given his 15 Serie A assists so far this season. But Milan were well prepared to deal with predictable crosses. Inter’s final hope arrived at the end of stoppage time, when the ball struck Samuele Ricci’s arm inside the area. You could file this one under “seen them given” in this era of endless intervention from video assistant referees.

Instead, there was a tempting narrative of inevitability to Inter’s defeat. They have won only once in their last 16 games against Milan, Juventus and Napoli combined – and that with the help of an extremely controversial red card.

On this occasion, we should weigh the fact they were missing several of their best players, with Lautaro Martínez injured, Marcus Thuram sidelined by flu and Denzel Dumfries fit to play only the final half-hour as he continues his return from ankle surgery. Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny have given encouraging performances as alternatives up front this season, but this was their first time starting together.

Even in defeat, Inter remain strong favourites for the Serie A title, with a seven-point lead over their neighbours. Allegri insisted at fulltime that he was not thinking about the Scudetto but only about making sure Milan qualify for the Champions League. The Rossoneri are second in the table, but for their manager it is the nine-point gap to fifth that matters most.

His players agreed in their own post-game interviews, but fans may let themselves dream just a little. None of Inter’s next four games look straightforward. Atalanta at home, Fiorentina away, Roma at home then Como away. The Viola are the weak link in that chain, yet they are showing greater spirit in their survival fight now than they did earlier in the season. Moise Kean is scoring goals again, too.

No Inter supporter will have forgotten the back-to-back defeats against Bologna and Roma last April that caused their team to lose their grip on the Scudetto. The buffer this time is greater, but teams have blown bigger leads before than seven points in 10 games.

“We’re unhappy about losing a derby, another one, the umpteenth,” said Inter’s manager, Cristian Chivu. “I feel like I’m experiencing a deja vu. Like I was watching the same derby from the earlier this season, or another one from the last few years.”

Inter have had quite enough of history repeating itself. After a shock elimination from the Champions League by Bodø/Glimt, the narrative around the club was that this might yet turn out to be a blessing, helping them to avoid the exhaustion from competing on every front that contributed to their collapse last year. If Chivu’s team were to falter from here, the patience for excuses would be thin.