Inter won their 20th Scudetto in the sweetest way possible with a sixth consecutive Derby della Madonnina victory, beating Milan with Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram goals.
With the gap at the top of the table at 14 points, a Nerazzurri victory would guarantee the Scudetto this evening, with Lautaro Martinez and Benjamin Pavard returning from bans. Stefano Pioli revamped his Rossoneri after Thursday’s Europa League exit to Roma, dropping Olivier Giroud, moving Rafael Leao to centre-forward, Christian Pulisic on the left, plus Malick Thiaw suspended, Simon Kjaer and Pierre Kalulu injured.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Simone Inzaghi’s men have now won each of the last six editions of the Derby della Madonnina, conceding two goals and scoring 14, including the 5-1 result in September 2023.
Inter took the lead after 18 minutes when a Federico Dimarco corner was flicked on by Pavard at the near post to find Francesco Acerbi totally and utterly unmarked for a free header from six yards.
Left unmarked and Inter are 1-0 up! 🔥
Francesco Acerbi opens the scoring in the Derby della Madonnina ⚽️
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 22, 2024
It really should’ve been 2-0 soon after, as Dimarco pulled back from the by-line only for Lautaro Martinez to incredibly balloon over the bar from close range.
Rafael Leao in his new False 9 role was sent through by a Yunus Musah counter-attack, only to fire the finish straight at Yann Sommer.
Marcus Thuram completed a give and go with Nicolò Barella only to then steer the finish inches wide with the inside of the right boot.
There was an end-to-end move just before half-time, as first Davide Calabria forced a great save from Sommer on a Musah assist, then Inter countered and the Fikayo Tomori error was a gift to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, putting Mike Maignan in a tricky position.
It remained wide open, first Dimarco furious the Tomori foul was not called when he was trying to go clear, then Pavard with a decisive last-ditch tackle on Leao in the same move.
Inter doubled their lead at the dawn of the second half, as Thuram gathered a long Alessandro Bastoni ball over the top, cut inside Tomori and drilled low into the near bottom corner with a disguised finish from the edge of the area.
Marcus Thuram doubles Inter's lead 🔥
Could that be the Serie A title wrapped up…? 🏆
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 22, 2024
Theo Hernandez’s snapshot was parried by Sommer with Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek unable to get on the rebound, while Pulisic blasted over from a promising position, but the Rossoneri got back into it to set up a tense finale.
It was a worked corner, Samuel Chukwueze’s cross nodded down by Rafael Leao into the six-yard box, where Matteo Gabbia’s header was palmed onto the upright by Sommer, but Tomori was quickest to react on the rebound.
Fikayo Tomori pulls one back! 👀
Could Milan turn this result around…? ⚽️
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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 22, 2024
The game was transformed, as moments later Sommer fumbled the Pulisic cross and Noah Okafor’s scuffed rebound was cleared practically off the line.
However, it ended with a brawl between Denzel Dumfries and Theo Hernandez, who were both sent off after their teammates struggled to drag them apart.
Another brawl erupted after a corner, resulting in Davide Calabria’s red card for lashing out a fist on Davide Frattesi.
Milan 1-2 Inter
Acerbi 18 (I), Thuram 49 (I), Tomori 80 (M)
Sent off: Dumfries 93 (I), Theo Hernandez 93 (M), Calabria 95 (M)
Player statistic
| 18' |  |
Francesco Acerbi (Assist: Benjamin Pavard) | ||
| 22' |  |
Nicolò Barella | ||
| 32' | |
Lautaro Martínez | ||
| Theo Hernández | |
36' |
| 49' | |
Marcus Thuram | ||
| Fikayo Tomori | |
80' | ||
| Matteo Gabbia | |
90' | ||
| Fikayo Tomori | |
90+2' | ||
| Theo Hernández |  |
90+3' | ||
| Davide Calabria | |
90+7' | ||
| 90+3' | |
Denzel Dumfries |
Match statistic
Experienced players acting like babies….one kicking stuff whilst being subbed. Acts never witnessed by Milan players in all my life. These children and their coach are not worthy of those colours.
Now they’ll go to Turin with 3 of the back 4 suspended.
The ref was a disaster. No surprise he completely lost control. Hernandez is the dirtiest player in the top leagues. Needs some counseling.
FORZA INTER. Campioni D’ Italia