ICONIC DERBY MOMENTS
Few fixtures in world football pulse with as much history, tension, color and emotional volatility as the Derby della Madonnina.
Milan and Inter share a city, a stadium and a century of intertwined triumphs and tragedies—yet each lives to outshine the other. When AC Milan beat Inter, it isn’t just three points; it’s bragging rights in the streets, in the cafés, in workplaces and within generations of families split down the middle.
Across more than a hundred years, Milan have authored some unforgettable masterpieces against their Nerazzurri rivals. These victories vary in flavour—thrashings, tactical clinics, heroic comebacks and nights when legends emerged.
The five wins below stand out not only for the scorelines, but for their symbolism, narrative, and impact on the red-and-black side of the city.
The 3–0 Scudetto Statement (2 April 2011)
Pato’s night—and the night the Scudetto moved toward Milanello.
The derby returned to its fiercest stakes in spring 2011. Milan were chasing the Serie A title; Inter, rejuvenated under Leonardo, were close behind. A single result could tilt the Scudetto race.
Enter Alexandre Pato, still a comet of talent and potential. He scored just 44 seconds in, pouncing on a rebound to spark a raucous San Siro. Early in the second half, he struck again—this time a header from a beautifully weighted Abate cross.
Inter’s frustration boiled over, culminating in Chivu’s red card. Antonio Cassano converted a late penalty to make it 3–0 and deliver the final flourish.
This win was more than a derby victory: it paved Milan’s path to their 18th Scudetto, and remains one of Massimiliano Allegri’s signature matches. For fans, it’s remembered as the night the Rossoneri reclaimed the city.
The Giroud Derby (5 February 2022)
The derby that turned a Scudetto race upside-down.
Inter entered the match as favourites—defending champions, league leaders, and seemingly on a glide path to another title. For 70 minutes, that script held firm as Milan looked tense, overmatched, and destined to fall further behind.
Then Olivier Giroud awakened the red & black half of the city.
A scrappy, improvised equalizer in the 75th minute. A minute of chaos. Then the moment: Giroud receiving the ball with his back to goal, spinning with balletic precision, and sliding a finish past Handanović for 2-1.
The comeback was complete; Milan launched themselves into the title race.
A few months later, the Rossoneri lifted the 2021–22 Scudetto—a triumph born on this very night.
Away Goals Rule! (13 May 2003, Champions League Semi-final)
Europe Decided by a “Home” Away Goal.
Some wins are measured not by goals but by consequence. In 2003, the city rivalry spilled onto Europe’s biggest stage.
A 0–0 “home” first leg was followed by a tension-drenched second. Just before halftime, Andriy Shevchenko wriggled free and drilled the ball past Toldo — the goal that counted as an “away” strike despite being scored in the same shared stadium.
Inter equalized late, but Milan held firm. The 1–1 final score sent the Rossoneri to the Champions League final, where they would defeat Juventus at Old Trafford. Few derbies in history have carried stakes this monumental, and Milan’s progression remains one of the rivalry’s defining strategic triumphs.
The 3–0 Champions League Semi-final (12 April 2005)
A European derby that defined a generation.
The 2004–05 season offered the world a rarity: the Derby della Madonnina played on football’s grandest stage. Milan had won the first leg 2–0 through Stam and Shevchenko, but the second match—nominally Inter’s “home” leg—became the defining moment.
Milan showed elite control and icy composure. Shevchenko’s early strike, taken with the assurance of a player who owned the derby, effectively decided the tie. When Esteban Cambiasso’s equalizer was disallowed, tempers exploded; flares rained from the Curva Nord, halting the game. UEFA would later award Milan a formal 3–0 victory.
This was not just a match; it was a psychological landmark. Milan advanced to the final (and toward the eventual Istanbul heartbreak), but the derby victory itself is remembered as one of Carlo Ancelotti’s most tactically flawless nights, and a moment where Milan reasserted their European pedigree at their rival’s expense.
The 6–0 Masterclass (11 May 2001)
The Derby of Derbies.
A game so iconic that the mere scoreline still elicits a smile from every Milanista.
When Cesare Maldini and Mauro Tassotti took temporary charge late in the 2000–01 season, no one expected fireworks. Milan were inconsistent; Inter were in turmoil. But nothing predicted what unfolded in front of a stunned San Siro.
Gianni Comandini, a footnote in Milan history before and after, chose this night to become immortal with a brace inside 19 minutes. Shevchenko, in his predatory prime, added two more. Late strikes from Serginho—who tormented Inter all evening—and Federico Giunti completed the humiliation.
The scoreboard’s glowing 6–0 became a landmark in derby folklore. For Milan fans, it remains a match replayed endlessly, a benchmark for dominance, and a story passed down like sacred scripture.
The Enduring Power of the Derby
Each derby tells a story, but these five matches transcend the moment. They represent eras—titles won, rivalries defined, legends sculpted in pressure. If the San Siro’s concrete could speak, it would echo the chants of the Curva Sud on these nights: the joy, the swagger, the roar of a fanbase witnessing their team at its absolute best.
For AC Milan supporters, these victories are part of identity, culture, and memory. And as long as the Rossoneri and Nerazzurri share the same cathedral of football, more masterpieces will inevitably follow.
In Milan, victory is temporary—but derby glory is forever.
