Inter survived a late scare to hold on to a thrilling 3-2 victory over fierce rivals Milan, leapfrogging their neighbours in the Serie A in the process.

Matias Vecino broke the deadlock after just three minutes to give Inter the perfect start at the San Siro.

It was exactly the response under-pressure boss Luciano Spalletti would have demanded following Thursday's humiliating Europa League exit to Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Nerazzurri should really have been out of sight by the interval, with Vecino spurning a gilt-edged chance for his second and the unmarked Milan Skriniar glancing his header wide from point-blank range.

Inter did make their dominance count in the 51st-minute when Stefan de Vrij's header doubled the 'away' side's lead, but only five minutes later Tiemoue Bakayoko's first goal for AC Milan - a bullet header against the run of play - gave Gennaro Gattuso's side renewed hope.

Inter restored their two-goal advantage in the 67th-minute courtesy of Lautaro Martinez's penalty-kick after Matteo Politano was felled by Samu Castillejo, but Milan responded almost immediately through Mateo Muascchio's scrappy finish.

It was all hands to the pumps for Inter in a tense finale, with Samir Handanovic making a fine save with his shoulder to deny Castillejo's back-post header while Danilo D'Ambrosio made a goal-line clearance, as Spalleti's side recorded the three points that takes them third, two ahead of the Rossoneri.