Inter finish 2007 seven points clear of second-placed Roma in the Serie A standings, following a deserved 2-1 victory in an action-packed derbi di Milano. Their sixth straight league win came before a raucous San Siro crowd, at the expense of deadly rivals AC Milan. The nerazurri’s derby success was made in Argentina - goals either side of half-time from the in-form Julio Cruz and combative midfielder Esteban Cambiasso rendering Andrea Pirlo’s wonderful early goal from a free-kick insignificant in the final analysis.
With the mid-winter break looming large, Inter’s challengers –at least notionally – for lo scudetto had been narrowed down to Roma and a re-born Juventus. Both found themselves in the unusual position of willing Milan to victory – Carlo Ancelotti’s side being way off the pace themselves; languishing sullenly in the bottom half of the table. In spite of their complete absence of domestic form, Milan were recently crowned World Club Champions - defeating Boca Juniors in the Tokyo final - and hoped to use that fine achievement as a springboard for an overdue derby victory.
Inter were nominally the home team at the packed Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, populated predominantly by interista, and Roberto Mancini’s charges formed a guard of honour to welcome Milan onto the pitch to recognise their rivals’ triumph in Japan. However, that gesture was where the seasonal goodwill ended. Milan’s tigerish midfield enforcer Gennaro Gattuso set the tone for what was to come with a trademark crunching challenge on Inter playmaker Luis Jimenez in the second minute, and was lucky to escape a booking.
Pirlo was the first name in the book just a few minutes later, but had a more decisive impact in the 17th minute. Veteran Milan forward Pippo Inzaghi did what he does best (that is aside from snaffling goals by the bagful and habitually getting caught offside), collapsing flimsily under an innocuous challenge by Ivan Cordoba. Pirlo stepped up to expertly curl the resulting 20-yard free-kick up and over the defensive wall, into the top-left corner of the Inter net.
Far from being subdued by this early setback, Inter instead flooded forward and within two minutes Jimenez saw a left-footed shot from an acute angle bounce to safety off the crossbar. Shortly after Cristian Chivu – successfully moved into midfield by Mancini to help lessen the impact of Milan’s Golden Ball winner, Kaka – fired a tame free-kick disappointingly over, when someone of his undoubted dead-ball pedigree would have expected to at least test Milan’s Dida. Though Kaka was kept largely quiet by his own explosive standards, a mazy run by the Brazilian turned Walter Samuel inside out and caused the burly Argentine defender to pull up with a knee injury – not for the first time in his career –and Marco Materazzi, an explosive character in his own right, was thrown on in his place.
Within moments of his arrival Inter found a merited equaliser. On 35 minutes, deft footwork on the edge of the penalty area by the mercurial Zlatan Ibrahimovic brilliantly took out three Milan defenders and Julio Cruz broke free to rifle in powerfully from a well-judged Cambiasso pass – his seventh goal in as many Serie A games. Tireless Inter captain Javier Zanetti fired a long-range drive narrowly wide soon after, following a thrusting run from his right-back station. Three further yellow cards followed before the half-time interval – including an obligatory caution for Materazzi – as the game became increasingly fractious.
Ancelotti – who has Jose Mourinho, among others, waiting in line to succeed him in the Milan hotseat next summer – rang the changes during the break; Emerson and Alberto Gilardino were on, the injured Gattuso and hopelessly isolated Inzaghi off. Initially, the manager’s bold decision very nearly had the desired effect – Gilardino nodded a tempting Paolo Maldini cross just wide in the 49th minute.
However, following a period of Inter pressure, a slack defensive header by Maldini – in his 24th and final season of a highly distinguished career defined by unqualified loyalty and professionalism – fell short of third Milan sub Serginho, and Cambiasso pounced. The much under-rated midfielder’s 62nd minute shot was low and hard, but Milan ‘keeper Dida made a hash of it, almost diving out of its flight path, though he will undoubtedly claim in his defence that he was left unsighted by bodies in the box. The former Brazilian no. 1 has, of late, lost his national team place to opposite number Julio Cesar, and can surely expect to be one of many joining the summer exodus planned by rossoneri owner Silvio Berlusconi.
Julio Cesar was himself only briefly called into action, saving comfortably from Kaka with ten minutes to play. Then, on 87 minutes, Massimo Ambrosini spurned Milan’s best, and final, chance of an equalising goal; Serginho’s devilish whipped cross beat Chivu at the near post, but Ambrosini failed to connect with the ball at close range. At the final whistle, Inter’s players looked totally satisfied with a win which rarely looked in doubt after their second goal slipped under Dida’s flailing body.
The game served to again expose Milan’s over-reliance on Kaka to dig their ageing stars out of numerous holes and their frustrating inability to shift up a gear when they go behind. These traits should, in theory, play very much into the hands of their upcoming Champions League opponents Arsenal. Meanwhile Inter can boast a multi-faceted squad, packed with attacking options and, with just one defeat in their last 56 Serie A games, will be feeling full of confidence as they approach a tricky last-16 clash with Liverpool. As of this moment, few could legitimately bet against a league and European Cup double for the nerazurri in 2008.
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