It was set to be Inter’s perfect day and the Nerazzurri did not miss their chance. Inter won the Derby di Milano 2-1, prevailing in the stracittadina against Milan for the sixth time in a row and clinching the Serie A Scudetto for the 20th time. Goals from Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram built them a comfortable lead as Fikayo Tomori’s late strike only gave a short-lasting illusion to Stefano Pioli.
The stars aligned for Simone Inzaghi and his boys to have the chance to win the title in the most important game of all, in a San Siro Stadium where it was Milan to play host. The Rossoneri could only try to delay the inevitable as holding the cross-town rivals to a tie would have forced Inter to wait just a few more days to lift the Serie A trophy.
But Milan didn’t manage to hold the fort. Inter’s win certified a superiority that was evident all across the season. They clinched the title after 33 games, with five matchdays to go, having won 27 games and lost only one. Inter recorded an astonishing goal difference of +61 as perennial runner-up Simone Inzaghi finally ended his chase to the Scudetto.
San Siro formed the backdrop for a thrilling football fest tonight. Those expecting a dull draw that could salvage Milan’s pride and delay Inter’s apotheosis by just a few days were proven wrong early on. For what was likely his last Derby della Madonnina, Stefano Pioli reshuffled his Milan cards and lined up Rafael Leao as center forward, dropping Olivier Giroud to the bench.
Leao was supported by Yunus Musah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Christian Pulisic, while Yacine Adli won his first cap as a starter in the derby alongside Tijjani Rejinders at midfield. Davide Calabria, Matteo Gabbia, and Fikayo Tomori formed a back-three as Theo Hernandez was the wild card on the left channel.
Inter, on the other hand, were deployed in the usual 3-5-2 format by Inzaghi as Marcus Thuram partnered with Lautaro Martinez upfront. Nicolò Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan formed the midfield line, supported by Matteo Darmian and Denzel Dumfries on the flanks. At the back, Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi, and Benjamin Pavard made no prisoners.
Milan had a promising start but their good intentions soon vanished in the rainy San Siro night. On 18 minutes, their defensive woes became evident again as Acerbi was left all alone to head the ball past Mike Maignan from a corner kick. Inter could have soon doubled their lead but Lautaro failed to hit the target from point blank range.
The Rossoneri‘s only chance in the first half came from a Calabria header that was brilliantly defused by Yann Sommer. The Swiss goalie thus confirmed once again to be one of the most pleasant surprises in Inter’s spectacular season.
Four minutes after the restart, Inter put the last nail in the Rossoneri‘s coffin with Thuram, who bested Tomori and beat Maignan with a sharp conclusion from the edge of the box. The Frenchman’s execution was clinical but his fellow countryman was caught by surprise to the near post.
Inter then switched to cruise control mode as celebrations at the San Siro prepared to unfold. And still, the game had a thrilling ending as Tomori halved the gap with a header, tapping the ball in after Sommer had come up with another super save had denied Pulisic from close range.
The Rossoneri‘s unexpected goal kept the game alive until the end but their chaotic, desperate assault did not bear any fruit. Milan had two men sent off as Hernandez was caught quarreling with Denzel Dumfries (who also saw red in the occasion) while Calabria knocked substitute Davide Frattesi down in the box.
The referee blew for full time after 98 tense minutes, kicking off Inter’s celebrations. Their claim to the Scudetto was never in doubt, but it could just not have happened in a better way.
MATCH SCORECARD
April 22, 2024 – Serie A 2023/2024 Round 33
MILAN – INTER 1-2
SCORERS: 18′ Acerbi (I), 49′ Thuram (I), 80′ Tomori (M)
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MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Gabbia, Tomori, Hernández; Adli (69’ Chukwueze), Reijnders (52’ Giroud); Musah (77’ Okafor), Loftus-Cheek (69’ Bennacer), Pulisic; Rafael Leão (Nava, Sportiello; Caldara, Florenzi, Terracciano, Jović) Coach: Pioli |
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INTER (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni (88’ de Vrij); Darmian (84’ Dumfries), Barella (77’ Frattesi), Çalhanoğlu (84’ Asllani), Mkhitaryan, Dimarco (77’ Carlos Augusto); Thuram, Martínez. (Audero, Di Gennaro; Bisseck, Buchanan, Cuadrado, Klaassen, Sensi; Arnautović, Sánchez) Coach: S. Inzaghi |
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Hernandez, Gabbia, Tomori (I), Barella, Lautaro Martinez, S. Inzaghi (I); Red Cards: Hernandez, Calabria (M), Dumfries (I); Added Time: 1st Half 1′, 2nd Half 8′