Inter humiliated their city rivals Milan with a 5-1 win at San Siro and Lorenzo Bettoni brings you the three things you may not have spotted by watching the game on TV.
It was a glorious night for the Nerazzurri who have now won the last five derbies in a row, all those played in 2023. Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a brace, Marcus Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu and Davide Frattesi also got their names on the scoresheet, while Rafael Leao was responsible for Milan’s only goal of the night. This is what everyone could see, but there is something you may have missed by watching the game on TV. Let’s see…
Fans
As usual, the show began before kick-off with incredible choreographies displayed by Curva Nord and Curva Sud. It was a home game for the Nerazzurri, so the majority of fans wore blue and black colours. Nerazzurri supporters mocked their ‘cousins’ for losing in the Champions League semi-finals earlier this year and continued during the game, singing, among other things, ‘Pioli is on fire.’ The stadium shook during the classic ‘Chi non salta Rossonero è’ with all Inter fans jumping. They also also put on a special show after Inter’s third goal. That’s when most Nerazzurri fans turned on the lights of their mobile phones, almost as if they were attending a concert. Milan fans hit back by singing ‘You are the champions of Europe’ but their reply tonight was as weak as that of Pioli’s men on the pitch. Lastly, Inter’s stadium speaker slightly changed the post-match rotine. He paused the club’s anthem after just two seconds and shouted: “The game is over, the result is Milan one, Inter five!” The anthem resumed and the whole crowd went wild.
Pioli
It was a tough night for the Rossoneri tactician who is already seen by fans and pundits as the main responsible for Milan’s disaster against their city rivals. His body language said a lot about his feelings, especially in the second half. Following Inter’s third goal, Pioli mostly stood in front of the dug-out keeping his arms crossed. He often complained to his midfielders and defenders, especially in the build-up and he frustratingly kicked a plastic bottle immediately after Davide Frattesi’s goal, the fifth of the night for Inter. The 57-year-old remained on the pitch for barely one minute after the final whistle, he congratulated some of his opponents, but then quickly returned to the dressing room following the likes of Mike Maignan and Olivier Giroud who were among the Milan players who did not go under the Curva Sud to wave at the fans.
Frattesi
As expected, the Italy international did not start as Inzaghi picked Mkhitaryan in central midfield alongside Nicolò Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu. The Inter coach wasn’t wrong as Mkhi netted twice and delivered one assist. However, Frattesi was introduced in the second half and was visibly eager to contribute, especially after scoring two goals for Italy at San Siro earlier this week. He knew there couldn’t be a better moment to get his name on the scoresheet for the first time as an Inter player. That’s why, minutes before scoring, he complained to one of his teammates who had not seen he was in a good position to receive a through ball and go one vs. one with Mike Maignan. He found the net a few minutes later in similar circumstances and he took off his shirt to celebrate. Unfortunately, everyone saw that, including referee Simone Sozza who was forced to give him a yellow card.
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