This 24th day in Serie A offered Italian football fans one of its finest duels, the Madonnina Derby. Opposing the two Milanese clubs, first and third in the championship, this disputed meeting saw the players of AC Milan overthrown their opponents in the evening, thanks to a double from the French international, Olivier Giroud (75th and 78th).
It was Madonnina derby day this Saturday in Italy. Inter hosted AC Milan in a Giuseppe Meazza stadium, freed from its capacity of 5,000 spectators and acquired in nerazzurri colors. The Interists, defending champions, were sure to remain at the top of the championship at the end of this 24th day, while the Rossoneri, 3rd, wanted to put pressure on Napoli, ahead of them on goal difference. For this meeting, Simone Inzaghi had decided to align an eleven identical to that which had beaten Venice on January 22, with the exception of Matteo Darmian replaced by Denzel Dumfries at the post of right piston. His counterpart Stefano Piolli placed his confidence in attack in the French international Olivier Giroud, aligned alongside three other tricolors: Théo Hernandez, Mike Maignan and Pierre Kalulu, while Franck Kessie and Ismaël Bennacer made their return to the eleven.
After having lost in the last three meetings between the two teams in 2021, the partners of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, still not recovered from an injury to the Achilles tendon, were keen to change the situation in 2022. Thus, they have started the match with intensity, provoking the first opportunity with this center from Calabria deflected for a corner (3rd), before getting a little scare by conceding a goal from Dumfries, finally refused for an offside by Perisic ( 10th). A minute later it was the other Croatian from Inter, Brozovic, who forced Mike Maignan to perform a very good reflex tap (11th). After a good domination in the game, Inter created a second dangerous opportunity with this recovery from Barella which passed near the post of Maignan (26th), then a third a few minutes later on this shot at close range from Dumfries , well stopped once again by the French goalkeeper. Having recovered in the game, the Milanese force Samir Handanovic to deploy on a fine strike from outside the area of Tonali (34th). Lautaro Martinez answered it a few minutes later, forcing Maignan to release his shot with both fists for a corner (37th). Whistled by the Curva Sud, Calhanoglu, the former rossonero, perfectly served Perisic on this corner kick for the opener for Inter.
Olivier Giroud relaunches the race for the Scudetto!
The Reds and Blacks returned to the locker room with their backs to the wall, after a good first half dominated by Inter Milan (9 shots to 3). The Rossoneri could thank their goalkeeper for keeping them alive in those first forty-five minutes (4stops in 1MT). In order to change his attacking animation, Piolli brought in Junior Messias instead of Alexis Saelmaekers from the start of the second period. From the outset, Bennacer intervened very well on Calhanoglu who spun alone towards the goal (48th), before Tonali tried his luck from afar (49th) on the other side of the field. This second period started like the first, with a lot of intensity from both teams without any goals being scored. In the 57th minute Franck Kessie, placed as playmaker, was replaced by Brahim Diaz a few minutes before Calhanoglu was warned for protest (59th). Slightly dominated in the first twenty-five minutes of the second period, the Interists created a few chances on corners in particular.
The last twenty minutes of this derby start with the double substitution of Simone Inzaghi, who brings in Alexis Sanchez and Federico Dimarco in place of Lautaro Martinez and striker Ivan Perisic (69th), followed by the exit of decisive passer Hakan Calhanoglu, replaced by Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal. The Milanese who had been pushing for a few minutes equalized thanks to a goal from Olivier Giroud (75th) who tore himself away to take a blocked shot from Brahim Diaz, author of a remarkable entry. The end of the match promised to be electric and we were not disappointed since the second top scorer in the history of the Blues scored twice just three minutes after his first goal, with a very good sequence (78th). Milanese held on until the end, the last minutes being chopped up by faults. Théo Hernandez being even excluded in the last seconds for a foul on Dumfries. The Milanese therefore return to a point behind Inter, who have one game less, and therefore put pressure on Napoli who are moving to the Venezia field this Sunday. The Rossoneri can thank their internationals Mike Maignan and Olivier Giroud while the Interists can bite their fingers for having let slip 3 points which seemed acquired 15 minutes from the end of the match.
