Derby is shot for Milans to lose also-rans tag
ONCE upon a time, the Milan derby was considered one of the highly-anticipated derbies in European football.
Gone are the days when the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf would square off against Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Javier Zanetti.
Of course the early 2000s were somewhat of a golden era in Italian football for the city rivals but not many would have predicted their steep fall from grace.
The clubs have rarely been in contention for the Scudetto, with Juventus winning eight titles on the bounce.
But to make things worse, qualification for the Champions League hasn’t been a given.
Atalanta finished third in Serie A last season, above both Milan sides. That would have been unthinkable at one stage.
This year Cristiano Ronaldo and Co are clear favourites to collect a ninth consecutive league trophy but perhaps either of the two Milan sides can put up a better fight than in previous years.
Inter’s appointment of former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, along with the signings of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez from Manchester United, is a statement of intent for a side that finished fourth last season.
And they’ve started the campaign in fine fashion. With three wins from three, the Nerazzurri sit top and tonight’s Milan derby is a chance to prove that their title credentials are legitimate.
Milan have also started the season well, winning two out of their three games under new manager Marco Giampaolo after the exit of Rino Gattuso.
Conte’s and Giampaolo’s contrast in personalities off the pitch are reflected in their teams on it, which should result in an enthralling contest between two sides who have a relatively new look.
Italian football has been talked about for all the wrong reasons given the continued racist abuse from the stands directed at players such as Lukaku.
The Derby della Madonnina is a chance to show it is still up their with the best of them.