San Siro thundered as Internazionale Milan and AC Milan clashed in the biggest Derby Della Madonnina in decades, two of Italy's most storied clubs meeting in a spectacle bubbling with passion and desire.
At the dawn of 2023, this had the making of a season to forget for the Milan clubs, with Champions League places on the line and both Stefano Pioli and Simone Inzaghi's job prospects appearing bleak, yet their presence in a Champions League semi-final is tremendous.
Simone Inzaghi's team stunned their great city rivals a week before, exhibiting class and control, with the ageless class of Edin Dzeko shining through, silencing the deafening roar on the Curva Sud. A blistering start, Inter were decisively ahead within eleven minutes, when an unmarked Dzeko volleyed home a Hakan Calhanoglu corner spectacularly, before Heinrich Mkhitaryan popped up in the box to double Inter's lead.
The return leg produced less of a spectacle, but an attritional affair, a display of grit and determination, settled by the ever-impressive strike partnership of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine World Cup winner continued his incredible season with a powerful near post-strike to beat Maignan and settle the tie.
AC Milan hopes rested on the return of talisman Rafael Leao, but even the Portuguese superstar failed to crack the Inter defensive line, narrowly flashing a shot wide. A flurry of well worked chances in the opening moments, Brahim Diaz failed to convert an opportune moment and the Rossoneri failed to capitalize.
Having endured trips to the Allianz Arena and the Camp Nou, the road to Istanbul seemed a far-off reality for the Nerazzurri, yet their presence in the Champions League final is a truly remarkable achievement for a club in financial disarray. Simone Inzaghi has harnessed the best of a team without an abundance of stars and extracted the best of a balance of veterans and unfancied journeymen. A finely balanced tactical setup, with 35-year-old Francesco Acerbi a stalwart at the heart of the defence and 37-year-old Edin Dzeko up front, Inter are a team of hardened, experienced winners. It would be unwise to write them off in the final, yet the label of underdog is by no means unwarranted.
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