Last weekend’s round featured a high stakes derby. Inter arrived at Milan’s home ground with a ten point lead and the clear opportunity to close the championship race once and for all. Let’s be honest for a moment: if the Nerazzurri had won, their advantage would have grown to thirteen points and at that stage Chivu and his teammates would have had a frightening margin, practically the equivalent of five victories. It would have been the final blow for Milan.
But it is no coincidence that Max Allegri is one of the best coaches in Serie A. Few have his experience and few know how to make games messy the way he does. When he wants to prevent the opposing team from imposing its game plan, there is often very little that can be done because he manages to steer the match in his own direction. That does not mean he always wins, of course, even though he has done so often in his career.
Allegri know-how
Still, playing against his teams is never easy because he always manages to make opponents uncomfortable on the pitch or prevent them from carrying out what they prepared during the week. And in the derby against Inter that is exactly what happened.
Milan took the lead just after half an hour thanks to a goal from Pervis Estupinan, a player who had certainly not shone so far. That is the nature of derbies. A player who has not convinced, who has struggled, who is still a mystery somehow becomes one of the most likely to score. It is an unwritten rule of this beautiful sport. Inter, as mentioned, missed a sensational match point and now must watch its back.
The Rossoneri have closed the gap and are now seven points behind. That is still a significant margin and allows Inter to take the field without excessive anxiety, but the momentum has clearly shifted. At the very least, this defeat could plant some doubt in the minds of Inter’s players, who were already shaken by their Champions League elimination against Bodo. It was far from a good game. Only three shots on target between the two teams out of seventeen total attempts. Two for the Rossoneri and one for the Nerazzurri.
There was little spectacle, exactly as Allegri would have wanted, especially since it led to three crucial points. Tension and nervousness were high, particularly in the final minutes after a controversial incident involving a possible penalty for Inter. In fact, it has been a very difficult weekend for Serie A’s referees. There were few chances and little entertainment, but the level of competitiveness was extremely high.
Inter alarm bells
At Inter, alarm bells should be ringing. Their record in clashes with top teams is extremely poor, almost like that of a newly promoted side, which is unacceptable given the quality of Cristian Chivu’s squad. The Inter coach has managed to turn his team into an almost perfect machine in matches within reach, games where it is reasonable to expect three points. However, against teams of a similar level they have suffered almost nothing but defeats, five out of six to be precise.
That is simply not good enough, especially since this trend has already cost them dearly in the Champions League. Inter are a great team and these kinds of performances and results against the other big sides in the league are unacceptable. Several individuals have disappointed. Nicolo Barella, for example, has been widely discussed on social media. But this is not about a single heavy defeat in a big match. It is not the exception.
It is the rule. Chivu must find a solution, if not for this season then certainly for the next, because the level has to rise. As for Allegri, victories like this strengthen the team’s morale and give credibility to his project. If this is not the year of victory, it could still be the year in which the foundations are laid for a future as Scudetto favorites. There is no point in looking too far ahead, though. The championship race has been reopened and Milan are back to believing, even at a moment when the team’s stars are struggling in front of goal. Every point matters. Chivu and his Inter have been warned.