Milan vs Inter- Derby della Madonnina - May 4

Fey wrote:Milan is awesome!!!

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:

Juligen wrote:Serious the first half was a joke, Inter not even crossed the mildfild

Juligen

How do you feel??

Well happy since Inter shove their tails between their legs Nice to see that they still fear us, even if we are incredible Cr@p.

As I said, he first half was a joke, Milan completely dominated the game and for bad luck ww didn’t score, but that changed in the second half.

Kaka should have passed the ball to Seedorf when we were winning for 2 -0 and not to Inzagui, the game would be killed and Inter would be truly humiliate but I can live with a 2-1 victory.

EDIT: Why Pato didnt start the game?

Congrats to Milan. It would be a loss if a great team like Milan wasn't in the CL next year, so I hope they qualify. This would also mean that Kaka is 100% sure to stay in Milan next season, and we'll get no insane retarded bids from Calderon in the summer

I still want Inter to win the title though, if only because I couldn't stand Cicinho's reaction were Roma to win it. After the way he celebrated a goal he didn't even score in the Bernabeu, I will curse any team that he plays for and hope he never wins anything again in his career.

Juligen wrote:
EDIT: Why Pato didnt start the game?

Because Pippo has 9 goals in the last 5 games

Good win today and thank you Cagliari!

Red n' Black wrote:

Juligen wrote:
EDIT: Why Pato didnt start the game?

Because Pippo has 9 goals in the last 5 games

Hehe Hey, think about the positives, at least you might get to see Pato play in the CL next year

.

Inter were seriously $h!t today, their midfield was far too negative and it looked like they had decided to park the bus and play for a 0-0 draw.

GRANDE PIPPO!!!GRANDE KAKA!!!!GRANDE MILAN!!!

Grande Bonera! I think he has been really impressive in the RB position, solid defensively and putting some dangerous crosses in. Carlo should have made use of him earlier in the season, especially since Oddo was pretty bad.

Torrente wrote:.

Ancelotti enjoys derby day
Sunday 4 May, 2008

Carlo Ancelotti and Kaka were beaming after the derby victory rained on Inter’s title parade and put Milan fourth.

“We gave ourselves a nice present by getting back into the Champions League places,” said the Coach after a 2-1 win.

The Nerazzurri were planning their Scudetto celebrations today, but this loss and Roma’s 3-0 win away to Sampdoria close the gap to three points.

“Roma have taken big steps closer, but I think it will be difficult for them to complete the comeback. I think Inter could secure the title next Sunday with Siena.”

Ancelotti’s men attacked from the start, but after Pippo Inzaghi and Kaka’s goals were put under serious pressure.

“Inter, at least to begin with, had a much more prudent approach. This favoured us because we had the chance to build our play and more freedom for Alessandro Nesta and Massimo Ambrosini.”

Fiorentina’s 2-1 defeat at Cagliari means Milan go fourth and it will be a very tight final two weeks of the season.

“I think this year we paid a heavy price for injuries to people like Inzaghi, Kaka, Ronaldo and Pato. Let us not forget Pippo was sidelined for three months.

“You can really tell the difference when he is in good physical shape and he knows that too. At the moment he is in a brilliant period of form and this allows us to have many different options in attack.”

Kaka set up the opener and scored the second goal himself to end a run of three consecutive derby defeats.

“We were missing the feeling of a derby victory,” smiled the Brazilian. “Today everything went well. They could have won the Scudetto, but they didn’t, and on top of that we recaptured fourth place. Now it all depends on us.

“We did what Inter should have done today. However, it does increase the regrets for the games we did not win at San Siro this season.”

A fantastic result for us, the team performed well, especially Kaka'. Pippo scores again which is great for him and the team. I was surprised at how poor Inter were, very boring and negative.

Moratti berates sluggish Inter
Sunday 4 May, 2008

Inter President Massimo Moratti criticised his team for “only playing the second half” in today’s derby defeat.

“They were fairly blocked psychologically in the first half, but after going 2-0 down that freed them and they were able to play,” said the patron.

Milan dominated for over an hour, but it was only until after Pippo Inzaghi and Kaka’s goals that the Nerazzurri put some pressure on their rivals.

“It’s a shame, as we weren’t focused on the task at hand and we could have changed the result in what proved to be a classic hard-fought derby.”

This result and Roma’s 3-0 victory away to Sampdoria closes the gap to just three points with two rounds remaining.

It is a bitter blow considering many had already planned a title party this afternoon, as a victory would have mathematically sealed it.

“We have already been three points in front before. I think at this stage of the season nerves are bound to hit both teams,” added Moratti.

“I was in all honestly focusing on the derby rather than any Scudetto celebrations. I was disappointed we waited too long to get going in the first half.”

Inter today didn’t look like their usual selves, still what a performance from Milan especially from Kaka.

The performance I was hoping for today from Milan. But like I said pre-match, Inter have not been fantastic recently, the performances have not been great even though the results have been good.

I think even Inter will have to make some important squad changes.

Moratti demands brave Inter
Monday 5 May, 2008

Following the derby defeat to Milan, Inter President Massimo Moratti says they must show their courage to win the Scudetto.

The Nerazzurri are three points ahead of Roma and although the campionato doesn't seem at risk, they must avoid any more slip-ups if they are to claim the Serie A title.

“No-one was ready to celebrate against Milan and we were all focused. We wanted to play well and win the game,” insisted Moratti.

“I know we didn't mean to, but we were too careful in the first half. Sometimes fortune favours the brave, but that was not Roberto Mancini's fault.”

There have been reports that Mancio could leave San Siro in the summer, but Moratti has made it clear that he still is his first choice for the bench.

“Every Sunday we make our own conclusions about players and Coaches. The defeat in the derby didn't change my mind on Mancini.

“He has said many times that he wishes to stay,” concluded the oil baron, who sees his team take on Siena and Parma as they continue to hunt for the decisive win.

If they secure all three points on Sunday against the Bianconeri and Roma fail to beat Atalanta, then they will be crowned champions at San Siro.

The Beneamata will be eager to avoid facing the last game of the season against Parma with the title still at stake.

The Emiliani will be desperate for points as they battle for survival, so they will up for a fight and could cause Inter some unwanted last-minute surprises.

Super Madrid wrote:They have some superb cameras in this game where they could go very close to the players. wonderfull pictures here.

actually they had some kind of new camera above the pitch. it was attached to about 6 cables (attached high up in the corners of the stadium and in the middle) and moving about. I thought the ball might hit it but it positioned itself pretty cleverly.

110% wrote:

Super Madrid wrote:They have some superb cameras in this game where they could go very close to the players. wonderfull pictures here.

actually they had some kind of new camera above the pitch. it was attached to about 6 cables (attached high up in the corners of the stadium and in the middle) and moving about. I thought the ball might hit it but it positioned itself pretty cleverly.

It was great pictures, really enjoyed it. it was nothing like the annyoing views we get when there is a penalty where they show from behind.

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:

I bet he enjoyed that.

Mancini: Moratti is wrong!
Tuesday 6 May, 2008

The tension is rising at Inter as Roberto Mancini confessed “I do not agree with Massimo Moratti” on the post-derby defeat criticism.

The President was irritated after the 2-1 loss to Milan on Sunday and complained “we approached it with excessive prudence and should have more courage in the final games.”

Two days later, Coach Mancini made his response heard during a Press Conference for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia clash with Lazio.

“It is absolutely not true and I do not agree. There is no way we can talk of a lack of courage, especially as we never played for a draw in the derby or any other game.”

The row comes at a time when Mancini’s future is in doubt, as even a third consecutive Scudetto might not be enough to keep him in the job with Jose Mourinho hovering.

“Everyone can see it their way, but I think when there is a defeat people always look for the scapegoat, which is usually the Coach,” continued Mancio.

“If Moratti saw it that way then he is free to do so, but I certainly do not agree. Anyway, it’s not a problem.”

There are other issues, as last week Moratti commented “it all depends on him” when asked if Mancini would remain next season.

“I have a contract with Inter for the next three years and that is all that needs to be said. What more should I add?

“I don’t know what it means to say my future depends on me. You always ask me this question and last year that was understandable because I didn’t have a long-term contract, but this time I do.”

The tactician sparked the most debate himself when he announced he would be quitting at the end of this season.

He made the statement in the Press Conference after the Champions League exit to Liverpool in February, but changed his mind less than 24 hours later.

Milan rebuilding starts after win over 'Atalanta'
Roberto Gotta
Archive

Listening too much to what the fans have to say about their rivals is never the best of tactics. You will always find someone uttering the smart-arsed remark you find so funny until you hear the next one, and choosing the best would be as difficult and fruitless as navigating internet chat-rooms and picking the smartest comment: search longer and you'll find a better one, and you may never stop.


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Milan fans express their opinions on Inter and their team's season.

There was, though, something funny and close to the truth in the joke someone sitting not far from the San Siro press box made to a fellow Milan supporter at half time on Sunday: 'Well, Atalanta defended grittily in the first half, didn't they? But how come so many of their fans are here today?'.

It was not Atalanta, of course: the black-and-blue striped shirts on black shorts and white socks belonged to Inter, and the metaphor may have not been the most appropriate as Atalanta - the real one - had run rings around Milan at the same venue little more than month ago, but the (silly) joke contained a point: after 45 minutes of the Milan derby, Milan, or AC Milan to English speakers, had looked so much better than their rivals it had looked one of the many matches, in previous seasons, opposing sides had come to the majestic ground in the leafy western suburbs of the city with the sole intention of putting ten men behind the ball and see out time.

The implications of the 190th Milan derby (the 148th in the top flight: Milan now trail their rivals by four wins, 56 to 60), which the Rossoneri won 2-1, were always going to be deep: with two more matches to be played, a win would have sealed Inter's Scudetto whatever result Roma, six points behind at kick-off but burdened by a far worse goal difference, achieved away to Sampdoria, and a title would have come anyway had Inter matched Roma's result.

Milan, on their part, had won three in a row and four of five, scoring 14 goals in the process - eight of them from the in-form Pippo Inzaghi - but entered the game two points behind Fiorentina - who lost at Cagliari while Milan were beating Inter - in the race for fourth place, which had become Milan's Holy Grail after their failure to go past the quarter-finals of this season's competition and an early exit from the Scudetto race.

As if the motivations intrinsically making up the emotional impact of a derby match were not enough, Milan obviously did not want Inter to celebrate the title on their own ground - which, of course, is also Inter's on alternate days - and Inter would have been delighted to condemn the Rossoneri to the UEFA Cup: a decent competition, but one all Italian clubs except Fiorentina this year have snubbed in recent years, sometimes going to the extreme of fielding fringe players in the hope of going out soon.

No side can sustain great form throughout a full season, and Inter had carved out four consecutive wins out of sheer grit, rather than skill or tactical superiority, before Sunday. Their brilliant, dominating form of the autumn had gone, as shown by their goal tally of 43 in matches 1 through 19 - the first round of matches, a measuring point in Italian football - and now only 22 in those 20 through 36, and there had been, as reported in the last column, more than a fair share of turmoil for a team that had been leading the top flight since week 2.

Milan's season has also been well documented. Having failed to win at home until mid-January, their focus in the first half of the campaign had been on the World Club Championship, a trophy that had eluded the club's cabinet so far. The directors' insistence on that competition, which hardly set he fans' interest alight, irritated a good portion of the supporters, who had hoped for a renewed challenge in the league.

The club were also seen as passive on the transfer market, despite the promising acquisition of Brazlian youngster Pato, who was not allowed to play until January but has now scored eight times in 16 Serie A appearances. The difference in athleticism, quickness, confidence between Milan and Arsenal when Arséne Wenger's side won at the San Siro on March 4 was seen as an harbinger of things to come, and a cry for a renewed effort on the transfer market.

Failure to qualify for next season's Champions League would still mean trouble: all of a sudden, Milan would become much less palatable for transfer targets Didier Drogba, Mathieu Flamini, Gianluca Zambrotta and Ronaldinho, and perhaps even Kaka, despite signing a contract extension throughout 2013, would start making noises again about joining Real Madrid or, a recent addition but only on an hypothetical plane, a Premier League club.

Intriguingly, before making a complete u-turn on Sunday and telling reports Milan do not really need him, owner Silvio Berlusconi's insistence in mentioning Ronaldinho as a likely arrival had not gone down too well with many fans: the Italian media have always been quick to point out the Brazilian's less than impressive displays in the past year or so and this, coupled with what is perceived to be a penchant for enjoying the nightlife, has made supporters very wary of him.


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Milan celebrate taking a huge leap towards returning to the Champions League.

Not even the fact Milan team is flush with Brazilians who would help Ronaldinho settle in quickly and establish a sort of safety net around him seems to be enough for most of the fans, who'd rather see the Rossoneri devote their energy towards bringing in Drogba, who's reportedly not a stranger to the city's hotspots, either, but is seen as more reliable.

Also perhaps a central defender and a couple of midfielders (more on this later), one of which could spell the end for Andrea Pirlo, who has been playing too much, and Rino Gattuso, who's revealed his disquiet in a recent interview to Corriere della Sera and has been known to be unhappy at having to run himself into the ground while unnamed team-mates are not as quick or willing to take on defensive duties.

All of this was nowhere to be seen on Sunday, when Milan's brilliant form continued. Coach Carlo Ancelotti kept faith with the same starting XI which had annihilated hapless Livorno 4-1 last week. This meant Favalli and Bonera on the flanks on defence: they were never the first choices at the beginning of the season, but Massimo Oddo's disappointing performances on the right had convinced Ancelotti to go for Bonera, less spectacular going forward but much more accomplished as a defender, which can also be said about his colleague on the other flank, who does have a reputation for sending in good crosses from time to time.

Inter responded to Milan's 4-3-2-1 with a similar formation, Maniche playing just off the forwards but spending more time shadowing Pirlo than actually looking for the ball. After a good, confident start, spraying passes around the San Siro pitch, Atal... er, Inter were soon on the back foot and could not get the ball out of their half for a five-minute spell around the quarter of an hour mark.

Milan appeared smoother on the ball and sent in a few crosses when Inter packed the middle of the field to prevent Kaka from receiving and turning with the ball in space, but there were only a couple of chances, one of them when a brilliant through ball by Seedorf was met by Inzaghi, whose right-foot shot was well saved by Julio Cesar.

Inter's resistance was broken down six minutes into the second half, when Inzaghi scored from a textbook near-post glancing header following good work on the right from Kaka, and four minutes later a clearly rattled Inter presented Milan with a second goal when Vieira was caught in possession on the right, Ambrosini laying the ball for Kaka to run at and shoot past his fellow countryman Julio Cesar.

From that point on, all tactical considerations went out of the window: Milan sat back, hoping to spring Kaka' or Pato, who replaced a clearly spent Inzaghi, free in space, while Inter, having sent on Suazo and Balotelli, looked stronger and pushed the Rossoneri back.

Julio Cruz's gem of a free kick on 75 minutes, a curling right footer which passed through the very space a couple of Inter players had vacated a fraction of a second earlier, made it a contest again and there were anxious moments when a couple of loose balls right outside Milan's penalty area were picked up by Inter, but the centre of the pitch was so packed at the time not even a golf ball would have gone through the sea of bodies. One last chance for Inter came in the last second of added time: Pato gave away the ball fifteen yards from the edge of Milan's penalty area and after a good through ball by Zanetti, Balotelli was up-ended right outside the area.


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New Milan signing Matthieu Flamini was the talking horse.

Chivu's free kick as time expired - oddly enough, a similar situation had occurred during the first derby, only it had been Milan getting the late chance - sailed over the bar and during the post-match celebrations Adriano Galliani, Milan's chief executive, announced one of the new signings may well be Mathieu Flamini, who was then reportedly spotted having dinner in the restaurant owned by Milan defender Kaladze which has become a sort of unofficial Milan headquarters.

Did that constitute a definitive proof the deal for the French midfielder has gone through? No: almost everyone with even a thin connection to Milan seems to regularly be spotted eating there. But it sure meant something. And it proved to be correct.

Top pictures.