AC Milan and Inter are getting ready to face each other for a second time this season, with Massimiliano Allegri and Cristian Chivu battling again.
As Tuttosport (via MilanPress) report this morning, Allegri and Chivu will shake hands under the San Siro sky again, 105 days after the November 23 derby that the Rossoneri won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Christian Pulisic.
Since then, in the 15 league games that have been played, the situation has changed dramatically. Inter have won 14 and drawn once, accumulating 11 points more than Milan, who have since gone from a one-point lead to a ten-point deficit.
A derby to settle the score?
The paper claims Chivu is aiming to ‘complete the job’ by winning the derby and evening the score for the season. After a run of six consecutive derby wins, Inter have recorded four defeats and two draws in their last six meetings with Milan.
From a Scudetto race perspective, a draw could be enough to get by, but within the Nerazzurri the stated goal is to beat their city rivals and cap off the season.
The approach to the match was very different for the two teams too. Milan had a week without games and Allegri opted for a day with a double session. The tactical approach remains the same as in the first leg: sit deep and compact, ready to counter with the pace of Rafael Leão and Christian Pulisic.
Inter, on the other hand, played the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal on Tuesday in Como and then had a day off. This isn’t the first time Chivu has prioritised mental recovery over on-field routine.
During the match against Lecce, for example, he allowed the team to stay home instead of completing their final training sessions. This time, the scenario was similar, although the coach, his staff, and Ange-Yoan Bonny, who is expected to return to the squad shortly, were present at La Pinetina.
The communication style of the two coaches also differed from the first leg. Allegri, while not always a model of composure on the sidelines, maintained a cool demeanour in the media insisting on the goal of bringing Milan back to the Champions League and trying to convey calm after the team’s struggles.
Chivu, however, after a cautious start, has begun to show greater determination in defending his work, the team and individual players, like in his comments about Alessandro Bastoni after the match against Juventus.
It is a natural progression for a coach who was catapulted to the Inter bench after just 13 Serie A games in charge (with Parma) and whose mentors included José Mourinho. An experience that taught him that winning Scudetti requires not only tactical ideas but also character and a fighting spirit.
in a game like this I have far more confidence in Allegri and Corto Muso.