AC Milan and Inter will face off against each other in the semi-finals of the Champions League 20 years after they last did so, with a trip to Istanbul the prize.
Exactly twenty years after the last time, the Rossoneri will once again play a two-legged derby against the Nerazzurri to fight for a place in the final where the winner of the other semi between Manchester City and Real Madrid will await.
Two decades is a long time, especially in football, and it would be fair to say that the landscape of the league and the sport in general has changed a lot since then.
Back then the two Milanese clubs were bonafide superpowers, though now they are dwarfed in revenues and exposure compared to teams like Real Madrid, for example.
Below are the starting line-ups fielded by Hector Cuper and Carlo Ancelotti in the second leg of the semi-final on 15 May 2003, which ended in a 1-1 draw and Milan went through with an away goal, as relayed by MilanNews.
Inter XI: Toldo, J.Zanetti, Cannavaro, Materazzi, Cordoba, Emre, Di Biagio, C.Zanetti, Conceição, Crespo, Recoba.
Milan XI: Abbiati; Costacurta, Nesta, Maldini, Kaladze; Seedorf, Pirlo, Gattuso; Rui Costa; Shevchenko, Inzaghi.
That milan defense dho . Wow
Inter’s lineup is not nearly as impressive as ours. I’ve always thought that the squad in the period 2002-2006 was the strongest we’ve ever had. This is what makes Istanbul 2005 so shocking to this day. Dida, Maldini, Nesta, Stam, Cafu, Seedorf, Pirlo, Gattuso, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo.
As great those teams was in the 00s i really dont think they are much comparable to those of the late 80ies and early to mid 90ies.
What I would give to be at the San Siro in a few weeks, imagine it is already sold out, have already taken the day off work and bought my Peroni. FORZA Milano, Viva Rossoneri, long live the Curva Sud