Milan headed into the Derby della Madonnina against archrivals Inter knowing that they would have to do something they hadn’t done in 15 years if they were to keep their faint Scudetto hopes alive: beat the Nerazzurri twice in one season. Pervis Estupiñán’s first-half goal and a staunch defensive effort ensured that Max Allegri’s side was up to the task.
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Inter were already 10 points clear before kick-off, and manager Christian Chivu seemed to rely on that. He lined up his team without its two leading lights, Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, and the Romanian boss was duly punished for his misjudgement.
The Nerazzurri had most of the possession for the opening half hour but were unable to break the deadlock, with veteran midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s mazy run and shot their sole chance.
Estupiñán keeps the dream alive
Milan would punish their rivals spectacularly. Seconds after the Armenian midfielder failed to finish off the opportunity he had crafted for himself, the hosts would break the deadlock. Seko Fofana fed the ball out wide to the unmarked Estupiñán, and the Ecuadorian full back rifled the ball into the roof of the net to give Allegri’s side the lead. It was a lead they wouldn’t surrender.
Chance after chance followed to end the half, but the hosts were unable to double their advantage. In the second stanza, it was a different story. Inter enjoyed pretty much all the possession, but with Chivu inexplicably opting not to introduce either of his prolific strikers, the runaway league leaders lacked a cutting edge.
They repeatedly passed from side to side without creating any real opportunity of note. Whenever the ball was played forward, Milan defenders Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlović ensured that the back door remained slammed shut.
The title race
The Rossoneri would cling on to their 1-0 victory, their second over their archrivals of the season after winning by the same scoreline back in November. But even with a Derby della Madonnina double in the bag, online betting sites still make Allegri’s men firm outsiders to win the Scudetto this season. Despite their lead at the summit being cut to seven points, Inter remain 1/8 favorites, with the Rossoneri a 6/1 outsider.
But anyone who’s already backed the current table-toppers to win the league at longer odds may well find themselves turning to an arbitrage calculator to guarantee a win now, rather than sweat out the title race.
The popular betting tool allows bettors to input odds across multiple bookmakers and calculate the exact amount one would need to bet to lock in a profit. By hedging your original bet with a stake on Inter at their current short price, the calculator does the hard work of determining exactly how much to place on each side to guarantee some winnings, whatever happens come May.
While punters stew over that, Milan will continue to bask in the glory of securing the bragging rights in the planet’s Fashion Capital. And with that in mind, let’s reminisce about previous Derby della Madonnina doubles.
Ibra and Pato twice down Inter
You have to go back 15 years for Milan’s last double over their archrivals. The season was 2010/11, and Inter were fresh off a historic treble under Jose Mourinho the year before. However, as the Special One departed for the bright lights of Real Madrid, Rafa Benitez inherited an aging squad that simply couldn’t live with a Rossoneri side primed and ready for a breakout.
Led by the attacking brilliance of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexandre Pato, and Robinho, Milan was the dominant force in the league all year long. They beat rivals Inter as the designated hosts in the opening derby of the season in November, courtesy of Ibra’s early penalty. They would then win the away fixture in dominant fashion, with a Pato brace and late Antonio Cassano spot kick sealing a resounding 3-0 win.
Milan would win the Scudetto by six points. Had the Nerazzurri won the two derbies, the two rivals would have finished level, showcasing the two games’ almighty importance.
Kaka inspires stunning comeback
Seven years prior, Milan were once again in the box seat. They headed into the 2003/04 season as the reigning European champions, having beaten Juventus in an all-Italian Champions League final at Old Trafford the year prior. They then set about flexing their muscles on the rest of Serie A, and Inter were powerless to resist.
In the pair’s first clash, Milan emerged as 3-1 victors despite being the away side, with goals from Filippo Inzaghi, Kaka, and Andriy Shevchenko sealing all three points. In the return fixture, it looked as though the Nerazzurri would have their revenge when goals from Dejan Stankovic and Cristiano Zanetti gave them a 2-0 halftime lead. Carlo Ancelotti’s side, however, was in the midst of a campaign for the ages, and they weren’t about to surrender the bragging rights to their greatest rivals.
In two crazy second-half minutes, they were suddenly level after quickfire goals from Jon-Dahl Tomasson and Kaka. Then, five minutes from full time, Clarence Seedorf would bag the winner, much to the delight of a pro-Rossoneri San Siro crowd. Milan would finish as 3-2 victors before going on to claim the Scudetto, quite the omen ahead of the ongoing title race 22 years on.