Derby della Madonnina: The rich history of the Milan Derby
Meetings between Inter and AC Milan are always attention-grabbing occasions. In order to build up to the latest instalment on Sunday, let’s revisit why it’s such a special rivalry.
2002/03 Champions League semi-final
Some 20 years ago, AC Milan and Inter memorably met in the Champions League semi-finals with the away goals rule still very much in play. The first-leg ended 0-0 with Milan denoted as the “home team” at San Siro.
The second-leg ended 1-1 and Milan advanced on away goals. This was a particularly unique enforcement of that rule, seeing as though both sides were playing in their home stadium in both legs.
Milan went all the way that year, beating another Serie A giant Juventus in the final at Old Trafford. They needed penalties that evening after, you guessed it, another 0-0 draw following extra time. Italian teams in the early 2000s really knew how to defend as if their lives depended on it.
Amongst the defenders on the pitch over these 2 titanic semi-finals were Alessandro Costacurta, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Kakha Kaladze, Javier Zanetti, Iván Córdoba, Marco Materazzi and Fabio Cannavaro.
It’s no wonder forwards had such issues scoring, and these were no ordinary forwards. Filippo Inzaghi, Rivaldo, Hernán Crespo and Álvaro Recoba couldn’t find a way through in the first leg, while Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins and the legendary Ukrainian goal-machine Andriy Shevchenko were the scorers in the second leg.
2004/05 Champions League quarter-final second leg
The Rossoneri and the Nerazzurri met again in the Champions League 2 years on from their tight semi-final meeting in 2003. THAT iconic image with pink smoke billowing through the San Siro as Rui Costa and Marco Materazzi watched on remains one of football’s most famous pictures. Crowd trouble boiled over when fans threw flares and other projectiles onto the pitch with about 20 minutes of the contest remaining.
The temporary peace and unity between rivals Rui Costa and Materazzi as they looked at the chaos unfolding around them was a beautifully contrasting sight. It’s one which will live long in the memories of football lovers around the world.
Having lost the first leg 2-0 and trailed 1-0 in the second leg, Inter were eliminated 5-0 on aggregate after it was abandoned and they were handed a 3-0 defeat by UEFA. A flare even struck AC Milan goalkeeper Dida on his shoulder in ugly scenes.
Milan would go to the final again that year only to be stunned by a Steven Gerrard-inspired Liverpool fightback in Istanbul, but the Rossoneri got their revenge over the Reds 2 years later in Athens, the most recent of their 7 triumphs in the competition. That Milan side under Carlo Ancelotti were simply built differently to most other football teams of that generation.
Which iconic players have crossed the Milan divide?
Players representing both Milan clubs isn’t all that uncommon an occurrence, believe it or not. Some of the BIGGEST names in European football history have worn the black and red of AC Milan and the black and blue of Inter.
We have to start with Giuseppe Meazza because this was the man after whom the San Siro is named. Meazza started and finished his career with Inter, joining Milan for 2 years in between.
Roberto Baggio, Nigeria’s Taribo West, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Vieira, Edgar Davids, Christian Vieri, Ronaldo, Hernán Crespo, Antonio Cassano, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Mario Balotelli, Ghana’s Sulley Muntari and modern great defender Leonardo Bonucci have all done it too. There are world-class players everywhere you look, and it just adds further fuel to the fire that burns brightly during the Derby della Madonnina.
The most memorable recent example saw Hakan Çalhanoğlu leave Milan for champions Inter on a free transfer in 2021 and then score 11 minutes into his first derby for his new club, only for Stefano Pioli’s men to get the last laugh by going on to dethrone Inter that season.
Most recent meetings
18th January 2023
AC Milan 0-3 Inter (Supercoppa Italiana)
3rd September 2022
AC Milan 3-2 Inter (Serie A)
19th April 2022
Inter 3-0 AC Milan (Coppa Italia)
1st March 2022
AC Milan 0-0 Inter (Coppa Italia)
5th February 2022
Inter 1-2 AC Milan (Serie A)
7th November 2021
AC Milan 1-1 Inter (Serie A)
The last 6 meetings have produced 2 wins apiece and 2 draws. The recent rivalry couldn’t really be any tighter.
Glitz and glamour
The Derby della Madonnina is always a special occasion on the Serie A calendar and this year is no different. Don’t be surprised to see A-List celebrities and top-level coaches from around the world in attendance, not to mention scouts from Europe’s BIGGEST clubs.
Standout players to watch in the Derby della Madonnina
Lautaro Martínez scored a double for Inter as they got back to winning ways away to Cremonese last weekend, and he was on the scoresheet when Inter thrashed AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana on 18th January. The World Cup winner isn’t afraid of the BIG occasions.
Although Milan were stunned by Sassuolo in their last match, Olivier Giroud got a goal. He also scored in their last Serie A meeting with Inter in Milan’s 3-2 win, and he bagged a brace when Milan won 2-1 away to Inter last February. The Frenchman loves this fixture.
So does Portuguese forward Rafael Leão, who scored twice in the aforementioned 3-2 win, but was surprisingly benched against Sassuolo last weekend. A number of clubs are desperate to sign the 23-year-old, but Milan are equally eager to keep hold of him.
Derby della Madonnina form guide
AC Milan are in terrible form, losing their last 3 games across all competitions and conceding 12 goals in that time, most recently going down 2-5 at home to Sassuolo. They are the reigning champions of Italy but have an awful lot of work to do to claw themselves back into contention. Runaway leaders Napoli currently hold a commanding 13-point advantage over second-placed Inter, with the Rossoneri 2 points further back.
If there are losers in this derby, they might be cast adrift in the Scudetto title race. The winners might still only have local bragging rights this season but that’s worth quite a lot in one of the world’s most fashionable cities.