Seven great Derby della Madonnina games
The alluring prospect of two more Derby della Madonnina matches awaits with a Coppa Italia final place the coveted prize for the winners.
Milan are the ‘home’ team for the first leg of the semi-final at the San Siro on Tuesday, March 1, with Inter aiming to exact revenge for a painful derby defeat last month.
Football Italia looks back on seven scintillating games in one of the most prestigious and passionate fixtures in world football.
Milan 2-1 Inter, Serie A, October 28, 1984
It was the header that made an icon.
Mark Hateley’s derby winner immortalised the English forward in Milan folklore as the Rossoneri won against their city rivals for the first time in six years.
Arriving from Second Division Portsmouth in the summer of 1984 the unheralded Hateley won over the Milan tifosi with an unforgettable goal at a jam-packed San Siro.
Rising above Italian World Cup winner Fulvio Collovati he powered home an unstoppable header which triggered an upturn in Milan’s fortunes.
Demoted to Serie B in 1980 for their part in a match fixing scandal and then relegated again in 1982 after a dismal season the derby win took on extra importance.
Alessandro Altobelli headed Inter in front but Hateley and fellow Englishman Ray Wilkins played a part in the build-up as Agostino Di Bartolomei equalised.
German star Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Irish midfielder Liam Brady lined up for the Nerazzurri but it was Hateley who stole the show.
Inter 0-3 Milan, Coppa Italia, quarter-final, second leg, February 10, 1993
Smoke obscured the pitch as a formidable Milan team featuring some of the club’s all-time greats left Inter chasing shadows.
Fans let off flares reducing visibility but it did not affect the Rossoneri who struck three times in the first half to progress to the Coppa Italia semi-final.
Captain Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini made sure Milan kept a clean sheet as Gianluigi Lentini and Ruud Gullit relentlessly rampaged forward on either flank.
The Nerazzurri’s experienced defensive trio of Giuseppe Bergomi, Riccardo Ferri and Luigi De Agostini were powerless to prevent Jean-Pierre Papin from scoring twice in the opening 13 minutes.
The French striker emerged from the mist to pounce on Gullit’s pass and then struck a clinical volley from Lentini’s centre.
Dutch legend Gullit finished the tie with a typically brilliant third, cutting inside from the right to curl a left-foot strike beyond Walter Zenga in the Inter goal.
Milan 2-3 Inter, Coppa Italia, quarter-final, first leg, January 12, 2000
Cult hero Alvaro Recoba was the architect as Inter triumphed in an incredibly open cup classic.
The mercurial Uruguayan provided two assists as both sides showed a blatant disregard for tactics, attacking each other relentlessly in a wildly entertaining encounter.
Recoba initiated the opening goal, lofting the ball to Christian Vieri who slammed a vicious half-volley into the roof of the net.
Andriy Shevchenko deservedly equalised for Milan with a close-range finish as the rivals could not be separated at the break.
Substitute Adrian Mutu netted his first goal for Inter from Recoba’s inswinging corner but Shevchenko made it 2-2 despite protests that the Ukrainian was off-side.
Nerazzurri midfielder Clarence Seedorf somehow failed to convert Recoba’s cross when it seemed easier to score, but recovered to curl a fantastic free-kick into the top corner in a fitting climax to an enthralling game.
Inter 0-3 Milan, Champions League quarter-final, second leg, April 12, 2005
One evocative picture illustrated a moment of sportsmanship as chaos erupted off the field in a derby marred by controversy.
Inter’s Marco Materazzi was captured resting his arm on the shoulder of Milan’s Rui Costa, opponents united in disbelief as flares burned brightly on the San Siro turf.
Both were helpless to stop the abandonment of the last eight Champions League tie with Milan a goal ahead after winning the first leg 2-0 the previous week.
It was all too much for a furious section of the Inter tifosi who threw flares, bottles and other objects onto the pitch after Esteban Cambiasso’s goal was ruled out.
Rossoneri goalkeeper Dida was struck on the shoulder with a flare in the pandemonium that ensued, causing the cancellation of the match with Milan ahead through Andriy Shevchenko’s ferocious first half strike.
Milan were awarded a 3-0 victory and Inter were ordered to play their next European game behind closed doors as UEFA swiftly punished the perpetrators from the stands.
Inter 4-2 Milan, Serie A, February 9, 2020
Two down and seemingly out at half-time Inter staged a barnstorming fightback to claim the bragging rights in a classic at a raucous San Siro.
Ante Rebic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were the recipients of some woeful Inter defending as Milan surged ahead to lead at the break.
However the Nerazzurri roared back as Marcelo Brozovic unleashed a brilliant left-footed volley from the edge of the penalty area to reduce the deficit.
Matias Vecino drew Inter level to send the ‘home’ supporters into a state of apoplexy, with Antonio Candreva and Alexis Sanchez combining to set up the Uruguayan midfielder.
Dutch central defender Stefan de Vrij stooped to send a header beyond the reach of Gianluigi Donnarumma as Inter dramatically went ahead.
Christian Eriksen was inches away from a fourth as he clipped the bar with an excellently judged free-kick from distance.
Milan refused to capitulate as Ibrahimovic headed against the post from close range. Yet Romelu Lukaku sparked wild celebrations by nodding in a fourth to clinch a stunning victory for Inter.
Inter 2-1 Milan, Coppa Italia quarter-final, January 26, 2021
Christian Eriksen’s stunning late free-kick settled a heated encounter in which Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were involved in a nasty off the ball confrontation.
The star strikers were both issued with yellow cards after butting heads and trading insults which the pitchside microphones picked up in an eerily quiet San Siro.
Covid restrictions kept fans out of the colossal amphitheatre as Inter dramatically prevailed.
Ibrahimovic sent Milan ahead with a low effort which crossed the line via the post as the Rossoneri led at the break.
The Swede was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a clumsy trip on Aleksandar Kolarov and Inter took full advantage.
Lukaku smashed home a penalty which flew into the net off the underside of the bar to restore parity before Eriksen’s memorable winner.
The Dane was often a peripheral figure under Antonio Conte at Inter but redeemed himself with an exquisite, curling free-kick in the 97th minute to send the Nerazurri into the Coppa Italia semi-final.
Inter 1-2 Milan, Serie A, February 5, 2022
Olivier Giroud’s second half brace completed a superb comeback as Milan surged back into title contention against league leaders Inter.
The Rossoneri were indebted to goalkeeper Mike Maignan for keeping the score down as Simone Inzaghi’s men dominated the opening period.
In a pulsating atmosphere the French shot stopper displayed great agility to claw away Marcelo Brovovic’s deflected shot and stood firm to block from Denzel Dumfries before Inter deservedly went ahead.
Ivan Perisic found space in a crowded penalty area to calmly side foot beyond the helpless Maignan as the Milan defence left the Croatian completely unmarked.
It was a completely different story after the interval as the Rossoneri poured forward; Giroud sliding in at the back post to divert Brahim Diaz’s effort into the net.
The former Chelsea striker followed it up with a sublime backheel turn and shot which Inter keeper Samir Handanovic could only parry, prompting coach Stefano Pioli to race from the dugout to celebrate with his players.
Milan defender Theo Hernandez was sent off for a crude lunge on Dumfries late on but it did not detract from a stunning fightback which opened up the Scudetto race.
A version of this article appeared on the Football Italia website on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
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