Inter’s laborious victory against Milan represented a big step forward toward the Scudetto, leaving Mourinho gloating and Leonardo frustrated, but it could have easily ended differently. In the end, a match that was profoundly affected by a harsh referee featured brilliant individual efforts and Julio Cesar as the savior.
Inter started strongly with the irrepressible Wesley Snejder spearheading the attack and looking like he was going to run all day past the Milan’s aging midfielders Ambrosini, Gatusso and Pirlo. Milito’s goal was logical, as well as clinical. Ahead early, Inter allowed Milan to step up, content to counter lethally, but before long the flow of the game was severely affected when Signor Rocchi blatantly over-reacted to Snejder’s sarcastic reaction to one of his decisions. A straight red for that? Even Galliani must have been uncomfortable with this verdict. A yellow would have been sufficient, but to create such an imbalance for a match of this caliber seemed inexplicable.
Inter promptly went into preservation mode, pulling Pandev back a little and slowing everything down, aiming to get to halftime with the score intact. Milan attacked without fire in the absence of Pato. A chance was squandered when an ideal free kick that either Beckham, Pirlo or Ronaldinho could have taken was wasted (by Pirlo). Boriello found little space and support behind him, as Leonardo played with five midfielders. Milan’s pace allowed Inter to achieve its objective and to regroup tactically at halftime.
Milan wisely brought on Seedorf for Gatusso at halftime and the Dutchman’s insertion had an immediate impact. Milan dominated the first fifteen minutes for the second half, earning a string of corners. It was Seedorf himself that required an exceptional save from Julio Cesar with a point blank header. Ronaldinho narrowly missed another chance. Still, Inter closed spaces quickly and relied on brave individual efforts from Zanetti and Cambiasso to keep some possession. Milito, who menaced Milan’s defense all day, combined with Pandev on a lightning counter, the latter’s shot bouncing off the post and into Dida’s arms.
The kiss of death? Not this time. A few minutes later Maicon was brought down cutting in from one of his typical incursions. Pandev transformed the opportunity clinically with a perfect execution that provided Inter a psychological cushion. Mourinho wisely substituted a still exulting Pandev with Thiago Motta, adding strength to a tiring midfield, and later Balotelli for an exhausted Milito in great form.
Leonardo threw in Huntelaar for Ambrosini, but Milan was unable to find a way past Julio Cesar even after getting past Lucio or Samuel. In the game’s final minutes an animated Mourinho riled up the silent, perhaps frozen?, Inter supporters to celebrate the important victory. The cushion provided by Pandev’s second goal came in handy when Milan was awarded a penalty deep in injury time for a debatable hand-ball by Lucio, who was shown a second yellow for the infraction. Yet even at this late stage, Ronaldinho was unable to get anything past Julio Cesar, who pushed aside Dinho’s effort with a superb save. This was clearly not Milan’s day, though on another day the match could have ended even.
Respect to Mourinho. Tactically, Inter was flawless and, without Snejder’s send-off, might have won more comfortably. Milan will have to wait until next year to avenge the 4-0 drubbing Inter inflicted on them last time they met. Inter has little time to celebrate. Up next: Juventus on Thursday in the Coppa d’Italia.