Champions League, the first leg belongs to Inter: Milan folded with two goals in 11 minutes

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If Milan is close to Europe, Inter is even closer than Milan. At least this bad and peremptory Inter, who after only eleven minutes had already hit the Rossoneri twice. Two deadly punches – one by Dzeko and one by Mikhitaryan – which left Pioli’s men breathless. Dull and annihilated, always late in the tackles, almost as if the absence of Leao – left in the stands in the hope that he can recover for the second challenge – had deprived them not only of the more unpredictable attacker but also of the certainty that his very presence , like a magic potion, he instills in Milan.

It was said that Inzaghi’s team, for this highly anticipated first Euroderby at San Siro (75,000 spectators for a record takings of over 10 million), were favourites. Both on the wind of a positive streak of five successes in the last five games, and for the newfound offensive vein of his gunners, but frankly no one had foreseen, at least in the first half, such an evident disproportion of forces. A difference not only technical, but also physical and mental. In every duel, in every contrast, Inter was there, Milan wasn’t. Always a moment later. Dzeko’s goal itself – a volley from a corner ahead of Calabria – is the plastic image of Nerazzurri superiority.

The 37-year-old Bosnian center forward, on his 400th career goal, was Inter’s first added value. Not only for the lunge of a shrewd area robber, but for his perpetual movement and his ability to offer himself as a foothold for the incursions of Barella and Mkhitaryan, always ahead of the Rossoneri midfielders, all dominated (apart from Tonali ) by the greater freshness of the opponents. Even the doubling of Mkhitaryan himself, three minutes after that of Dzeko, is a concentrate of speed and shrewdness resulting from a lunge from Dimarco: his low shot to return, after a veil from Lautaro, is intercepted by the Armenian who shoots from a few steps Maignan without problems. Immediately down by 2 goals, Milan seriously risked being wrecked.

A shock, a damned real nightmare that was materializing under the increasingly worried gaze of Gerry Cardinale, owner of the Rossoneri club. In short, the ko was close. Not only due to the psychological backlash that naturally complicated everything, but also due to Bennacer’s knee injury, the Rossoneri’s strong point in terms of construction and offensive capacity.

Pioli made up for it with Messias on the right and Diaz in the center, but the storm didn’t stop. In fact, Milan is no longer there, it vanishes in front of the angry gusts of the Nerazzurri. After a quarter of an hour a broadside from Calhanoglu, preferred to Brozovic, hit the post. And then, dulcis in fundo, with the Devil increasingly in the corner, the controversial episode of the penalty awarded by the wavering referee Manzano for an alleged impropriety by Kajer on Lautaro arrives on the half hour mark. However, the foul is not clear and the Var, who calls the referee to the monitor, cancels the assignment of the penalty. Not even the narrow escape restores energy to Milan. And even when he leaves, he does it without conviction, without the anger needed to get out of such an embarrassing stalemate.