One goal in each half for the Nerazzurri, who defeated Milan while conceding very few chances

In Milan, there’s also a slightly younger Milan side that hasn’t won in over a month; they’re thirteenth in the standings and have just lost a derby. Inter’s Primavera team won 2-0 thanks to goals from Iddrissou and Mancuso, two players born in 2007 who will long remember their afternoon at the Konami Development Center. It was an intense derby, played at a brisk pace, and the team with the most quality came out on top: in ball control, in one-on-one situations on the wings, and, above all, in the opponent’s box. Credit also goes to a rock-solid defense that conceded very little. Milan, a team made up of younger players, showed courage, fought proudly until the very end, and created potential scoring chances but failed to capitalize on them. It was the classic case of falling just short of the mark. They lacked forwards and, as a result, points.

Both teams lined up in a 4-3-3 formation but with different approaches to the game. Inter sought to open up the field to let their wingers, Mosconi and Pinotti, run free, while Milan played more vertically through Scotti, who was adept at dropping deep during build-up play to prevent the opposition from finding reference points up front. The match got off to a fast start right from the opening moments, as a derby demands: the pace was high, and there was no shortage of courage. In the 7th minute, Lontani tries a magical outside-of-the-foot shot but is denied by Farronato’s reflexes; Farronato goes on to make a series of crucial saves. At the other end, Longoni proves he’s adjusted well to the Qatari time zone (he’d just returned from the U-17 World Cup) and blocks a sure-fire right-footed shot from Della Mora. The derby opened up in the 19th minute: Cerpelletti curled in a free kick, and Iddrissou, left unmarked in the box, headed it home. Overall, Inter controlled the game; Milan didn’t pass the ball around much but responded blow for blow. Scotti was denied by Farronato in the 25th minute and, shortly after, broke free with a masterful nutmeg, earning a free kick. The captain was the sole offensive spark in Renna’s attack.

Inter celebration—  In the second half, Inter squandered two colossal scoring chances early on through Pinotti, who was devastating down the left but too inaccurate in his finishing. Milan struggled initially but then gained confidence, especially after Pandolfi entered the game to direct play. Overall, the Rossoneri lacked the final pass in the last fifteen meters, particularly on the counterattack. No dangerous shots on Farronato’s goal materialized: there were plenty of crosses into the box and promising opportunities that Scotti and his teammates failed to capitalize on. In the final quarter-hour, Milan pinned Inter back in their own half, but the Nerazzurri held firm, thanks in part to their two center backs, Bovio and Peletti, who were unbeatable in marking. Just as the Rossoneri were pushing hardest, the cruel twist came: in the 89th minute, Mancuso, who had just come on, beat everyone to the ball and fired past Longoni with his left foot. The final score was 2-0; Inter claimed the derby. With five wins in their last six matches, the Nerazzurri confirmed their excellent form and climbed back into the upper echelons of the standings. Milan, on the other hand, is in a drastically different situation, currently sitting in 13th place and winless since October 25.