San Siro, Giuseppe Meazza, and the Two Tenants Who Can’t Stand Each Other
The thing about Milan is that it is a city that never truly belongs to anyone. It tolerates you, it lets you borrow its grandeur, but it never quite gives itself over. AC Milan and Inter Milan know this better than anyone. Two clubs, same stadium, same fans when you remove the shirts, but the kind of rivalry that could make Shakespeare rethink the plot of Romeo and Juliet.
On Sunday, the city once again had to sit and watch its two biggest occupants fight over temporary bragging rights. It was Milan’s turn to call the stadium San Siro, and Inter, ever the annoying sibling, had to pretend they didn’t care that they were technically the visitors.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter is the Serie A landlord right now—champions, dominant, and strutting around like they own the place. Milan, on the other hand, is under reconstruction. Sergio Conceição has been handed the blueprint to fix the mess left by Paulo Fonseca, and if you squinted hard enough during the game, you could almost see the scaffolding of a functioning team.
A 1-1 draw in a Milan Derby is like ordering a fancy meal and getting just the appetizer. It satisfies nothing. But what the game lacked in finality, it made up for in the eternal narrative—Inter, the well-oiled machine, Milan, the dreamers with a wrench in hand. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how it all played out.
Milan in Transition: Right Side, Left Side, Leao Side
For reasons best explained by footballing physics and Inter’s compulsive need to press like a caffeinated orchestra, Milan won the ball on the right side. Inter, never ones to let their opponent breathe, responded by counter-pressing with two men immediately, while another one or two lurked behind like a second wave of doom. But Milan, for all their growing pains, had a trick up their sleeve: numerical superiority. More men, more passes, more chances to escape the press.
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The escape route? A scenic detour from right to left, where Rafael Leão stood like a man who knew the world would eventually come to him. The Portuguese winger, Milan’s most potent transition weapon, had one job—wait, receive, and ruin someone’s evening. Since he rarely tracked back in defense anyway, he was always in the perfect position to do what he does best: dribble with speed and chaos towards a retreating Inter backline.
Inter’s defenders, having watched this movie before, dropped deep into their own penalty area, hoping to absorb the impact. Leão, in response, often chose the scenic route—cut inside, wind up his left foot, and let fly from distance. The problem? He sometimes forgot that passing exists, and Milan’s best moment in transition came when he actually remembered, teeing up Tijjani Reijnders for a rare moment of collective intelligence.
As the second half progressed, Milan’s counterattacks became sharper, Inter’s patience grew thinner, and the game started resembling a high-speed chess match where one side was playing with their queen permanently pinned down. Milan won the ball more often, found more space, and looked increasingly like a team capable of stealing something. But in the end, it was Inter who got the final say—because of course they did.
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Inter in Possession: Rotation, Rotation, Confusion
To understand how Inter attacked, one must first understand how Milan defended, which, to put it kindly, was a work in progress. Milan set up in a 5-4-1 midfield press, which sounds solid on paper but often played out like an elaborate guessing game. Abraham, Milan’s striker, was tasked with shadowing Inter’s deepest midfielder, but Inter, knowing the rules better than anyone, simply rotated their way out of trouble.
Milan’s midfield trio—Reijnders, Musah, and Pulisic—had individual assignments that quickly became flexible nightmares. Reijnders tracked Barella man-to-man, Musah sat deeper to cover for Abraham, and Pulisic lurked near Bastoni, theoretically blocking passing lanes but practically playing whack-a-mole with Inter’s endless rotations.
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Inter’s approach to possession was less of a structured build-up and more of a revolving door. Barella would drop deep, center-backs would rotate wide, midfielders would sneak into attacking spaces, and wing-backs would either push high or drift centrally. It was a ballet of movement designed to confuse Milan’s passive press. And confuse it did.
The goal? Exploit the gaps behind Milan’s full-backs, particularly Hernández. Inter ran pre-planned sequences to drag Milan’s defenders out of position before slipping runners into the half-spaces. Dumfries would pull Hernández wide, Barella would time a run, and suddenly, Thuram would be darting into open space with only Pavlović left to stop him. It was elegant, efficient, and exactly the kind of football that makes defending feel like an existential crisis.
Inter’s Right-Sided Patterns: The Dumfries-Barella Show
As the game wore on, Inter’s approach became increasingly direct, and Milan’s defensive resilience was tested. De Vrij, enjoying the luxury of time and space, decided to play quarterback, launching a long diagonal to Dumfries. The Dutchman, in turn, combined with Barella in a one-two that became something of a recurring theme.
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Barella, for all his tactical intelligence, found himself stationed unnaturally wide at times, but this had a purpose—giving Dumfries the space to sprint behind Hernández and win footraces. Milan’s left-back, quick but often caught between pressing and covering, found himself in a perpetual chase he had little hope of winning.
On the left, Inter’s patterns were equally complex but a touch less effective. Bastoni and Dimarco worked to overload Pulisic, often isolating him in a 2v1. But due to slight hesitations in execution, the final ball didn’t always arrive at the right moment. Still, the intent was clear—drag Milan’s shape around until something broke.
Barella, the Human Cheat Code
If this match were a stage play, Barella would be the lead actor, improvising lines and stealing scenes. Milan’s midfielders, particularly Musah, spent a good chunk of the evening unaware of his movements, and this was a problem.
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One sequence captured his influence perfectly: Pavard dribbled forward without pressure, found Barella lurking between lines, and the Italian maestro took a single delayed touch to let Tomori slide past before turning into open space. The only thing missing was the final pass, but the point was made—Barella was the guy making Milan uncomfortable.
As the game neared its end, Inter became even more direct. Runs into depth increased, especially from the left side. Augusto, Zalewski, and a combination of Thuram or Zielinski continually overloaded the flank, looking for a way to break Milan’s defensive line. Zalewski, comfortable crossing with either foot, made life difficult for Milan’s defenders, while Augusto timed his runs expertly into dangerous areas.
These crosses, particularly from Zalewski, became Inter’s most potent weapon late on. When aimed towards Dumfries or Thuram at the back post, they forced Milan into frantic last-ditch clearances. And if this match had a script, it was clear—Inter, for all their dominance, would always find a way to create havoc in the dying moments.
Conclusion: Rent is Due, and Milan is Still Renovating
If football were a housing market, Inter would be that annoying neighbor who always pays their rent on time and reminds you that your apartment is still under renovation. Milan, for all their progress, are still figuring out the plumbing, while Inter continues to live like kings in the penthouse.
But here’s the thing about Milan—they have history on their side. Inter can keep winning, keep rotating, keep pressing the life out of their opponents, but deep down, they know what Milan fans whisper to themselves on quiet nights: This Inter is good, but it’s not peak Milan good.
So, for now, Inter can celebrate their status as the kings of the city. But Milan is coming, hammer in hand, blueprint in pocket. And when they’re done rebuilding, they’ll remind Inter that true dominance isn’t rented. It’s owned.
By Tobi Peter / @keepIT_tactical
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Mattia Ozbot – Inter