( CNN ) -- AC Milan took a giant step toward wresting the Italian Serie A title off Internazionale after Alexandre Pato scored twice in Saturday 's 3-0 derby victory at the San Siro , which ended with both teams reduced to 10 men . Inter 's reign stretches back to the 2005-06 season , but the second-placed Nerazzurri -- coached by former Milan boss Leonardo -- now trail the Rossoneri by five points with seven games to play . Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the winner against his former team when Milan beat Inter in November , but his suspension meant that Pato led the attack along with fellow Brazilian Robinho . And the 21-year-old gave Milan -- whose last league crown came in 2004 -- the lead after only 44 seconds . He played a one-two with Gennaro Gattuso on the edge of the Inter area but the veteran midfielder 's attempted return pass went into the path of the onrushing Robinho , and Pato pounced on the loose ball to beat compatriot goalkeeper Julio Cesar . Cesar was almost beaten again seven minutes before halftime , but Mark van Bommel 's deflected shot looped onto the top of the bar and to safety . Inter should have equalized two minutes before the break , but top scorer Samuel Eto ' o made an uncharacteristic miss as he scuffed his shot wide of the goal . His team 's hopes of gaining parity suffered a huge blow nine minutes after the interval when last man Christian Chivu was sent off for clipping the heels of Pato as the forward burst towards Cesar 's goal . Pato , playing in his first Milan derby , doubled the lead in the 62nd minute when he headed home from Ignazio Abate 's mishit shot after the right-back was put in space by Clarence Seedorf . Milan had the ball in the net for a third time in the 76th minute , but second-half substitute Mathieu Flamini -- who replaced Gattuso -- had clearly strayed offside . But another goal inevitably came , with substitute Antonio Cassano scoring from the penalty spot after being dragged down by Javier Zanetti -- his third since joining from Sampdoria in the January transfer window . But the former Italy forward ruined his own night by getting booked twice within a minute -- the first for taking his shirt off to celebrate his goal and the second for a poorly-timed tackle on substitute Ivan Cordoba . The result means Inter will lose second spot if Napoli win at home to fifth-placed Lazio on Sunday . Inter still hold a 64-60 advantage in the 176 meetings between the bitter rivals , but must now recover for Tuesday 's opening home leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against German club Schalke . In Saturday 's other match , Brescia moved out of the relegation zone on goal difference above Cesena with a 3-1 win at home to 10th-placed Bologna .
AC Milan move five points clear of second-placed champions Inter with 3-0 derby win . Striker Alexandre Pato scores first two goals as Inter 's Christian Chivu is sent off . Substitute Antonio Cassano nets third from penalty spot but is then booked twice . Brescia out of the relegation zone on goal difference after a 3-1 win at home to Bologna .