AC Milan can still dream. After winning 1-0 in the Derby della Madonnina against Inter thanks to the goal scored in the first half by left-back Pervis Estupinian, the Rossoneri are still in the race for the Scudetto. With 10 matches remaining in the season, Inter still lead the standings with a seven-point advantage over the team coached by Massimiliano Allegri, whose win ended the Nerazzurri’s positive run that had lasted since November following their other 1–0 defeat to their city rivals earlier this season.
Cristian Chivu’s team, who have now gone seven games without a win against AC Milan, once again showed the problems they have faced against stronger opponents this season, failing to win another key match.
For Allegri’s AC Milan, this is another “Cortomuso” win, as the Italian manager liked to recall when he was the Juventus manager, the idea of winning by a nose, as it happens in horse races, one of his biggest passions. Even if his game style drastically changed over the years, this concept of winning the key games with a small margin is still making his teams among the best ones around Italy. Maybe not the most fun to watch, but definitely the ones that win the most.
Speaking to DAZN after the game, Allegri seemed pretty clear about his hopes for the rest of the season.
“Inter have a seven-point lead and that’s a lot. We could have been more clinical in the final 30 meters, but there is still reason to be satisfied. We’ve reached the 60-point mark, keeping Como and Juventus behind us. We’ve worked for six months to arrive in March in the best possible condition. Now the season will be decided,” he said.
It’s fair to say that if AC Milan will win the title, most of the failure will be on Inter’s shoulders, as they still have a big margin that they can control. But as it already happened in the past years, especially during the 2021-22 season, a defeat against the city rivals can quickly turn things around and completely reshape the end of the season. The Nerazzurri had to play the Derby della Madonnina without the two starting strikers, as both Lautaro Martinez (injured) and Marcus Thuram (fever) had to miss the crucial match but at the same time they didn’t show the right attitude to win such games.
On the other hand, AC Milan played the kind of game they needed to play. They were in control of the match for most of the time, didn’t concede more than two chances in the opening 80 minutes and left to the rivals the ball possession, but also covering all the spaces when defending. The game plan was near perfect from Allegri, and it was perfectly executed by his players, as the goal scored by Estupinian only helped them.
For Inter, this is a big disappointment and setback, even considering the margin they still have. The next four games against Atalanta, Fiorentina, AS Roma and Como will tell us if their doubts and nightmares can become a reality, but AC Milan need to be more consistent also against the smaller teams, something they had more struggles in the past months. They needed a night like this and they now have a chance. It’s still a small one, but enough to believe that the impossible comeback can still happen.
