Milan-Inter, the strongest team won
Inzaghi wins the derby. Once again.
Too vivid a memory of Milan’s 2-0-Inter lingers on to be stifled by the serious and cumbersome weight of tactical analysis: while the Curva Sud put on a show, even reciting: “Hell is empty, the devils are all in the field” , on the green rectangle an authentic debacle of the boys in the Rossoneri uniform was staged. Let’s face it, Inter are on a different level on paper. But if there’s one thing Piolis has shown Milan in recent years, it’s that they know how to make up for the technical shortcomings against more famous opponents – and how. Sometimes sure.
Not in However, the 2023 derby all ended in victory for Inter without conceding a goal – for a previous 6:0 run between championship (1:0), Supercup (3:0) and Champions League semifinals (2:0).
Inzaghi’s team did that well, even brilliantly: they acted as underdogs and dominated the derby, at least in the first half. After 10′ the score was two Inter zero Milan, thanks to goals from the evergreen Dzeko – what a player! – and Mkhitaryan – who is enjoying a new and exciting dimension to his football existence thanks to Simone Inzaghi. The selection of Simoncino You were spot on: Keeping someone like Brozovic on the bench isn’t obvious, but Cahlanoglu can’t be removed in that role at the moment. Lukaku is Lukaku, but Dzeko is a symphony and the Belgian – who Bergomi always says is “a good boy” – readily takes on the supporting role. Also because Inzaghi, when he enters like yesterday, can sleep soundly.
Pioli won’t, having accused his side (and himself) of being overly snooty in the first half. A serious fact, very serious given the values on the pitch, and implemented by the fact that the last three derbies – with different results – have shown a practically identical performance. A bit like between Milan and Napoli between league and cup in 2023, so it was for Inter and Milan in the same period. And if the devil created a little thing in the second half, he essentially has it to thank for it an audience that once again proved to be special. ‘Cause they’re all good at partying, but singing (A life with the devil) with this power below this score is an indelible token of love – helping to overcome adversity and make believe in miracles.
Milan will need that in the second leg to fix a qualifier that, barring apotropaic gestures, appears written. Not because of the score, mind you. But for them Strength of the two teams on the field: Inter have an impressive squad, not only complete but motivated at the moment, seriously, where everyone feels like they can give something at any point in the game. From Brozovic and Lukaku to Gagliardini and De Vrij. Thanks to Inzaghi, who we have criticized in the past and who we now praise for how he managed to make a season that seemed to be forgotten so special. Inter are there, they are strong and they want the Champions League. It is also a warning to City and Real, as Bernardo Cianfrocca wrote about them sports sheet last weekend «no other city [oltre Milano] it has two teams that are European champions». Emerging alive means having already made history.
