ROME (AP) — A derby win. A Serie A title. One star.
Inter Milan have an unprecedented record of getting all 3 wins at once with a win over AC Milan on Monday.
And bragging rights in the city can mean more than anything else.
“It’s an opportunity,” Inter midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan said.
By going into the game with a 14-point lead over second-placed AC Milan, Inter can extend their lead to 17 points with five rounds remaining. That would secure Inter’s 20th Italian league title and give the Nerazzurri a second star on their shirt.
A star is awarded for one or both of 10 Serie A titles. Inter and Milan have won the Italian league 19 times. Only Juventus, who have a record 36 titles and 3 stars, have won more.
“We’re almost at the top of the mountain and we can’t wait to see the view. But we’re not there yet,” said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi, who is on the verge of winning the league for the first time as a coach. We still want some trouble and we want to get it as soon as possible. “
Since Milan is the host club, most of the San Siro will be dressed in red and black, with one end of the stadium reserved for Inter supporters.
Milan will be buoyed after Inter beat the Rossoneri 5-1 in the first derby of this season in September.
This is the first Derby della Madonnina with an added significance.
Inter beat Milan in any of the Champions League semi-finals last season and also won the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia against Milan last year, with the two rivals meeting in record time last season.
When Inter won Serie A 3 years ago, the team denied a birthday party on an open-air bus due to the coronavirus pandemic. And this time the team would have to wait another day for reasons of protecting the public.
Milan officials are concerned that a victory parade on Monday night could lead to a potential showdown with Milan fans returning from the derby and more Inter enthusiasts leaving their homes to sign up for the celebration. In addition, local police are expected to go on strike on Monday.
The bus stop won’t take place until Tuesday if Inter win.
If Inter don’t win, the next chance to win will be to face Torino at San Siro the following weekend.
When that happens (a trophy for Inter turns out to be a certainty), the name will cap off a season in which Inter were underdogs in pre-season.
Napoli were favourites to repeat their dominant performance last season but are only eighth in the current table, 34 points behind Inter.
Despite the loss of Romelu Lukaku to Roma, Inter exceeded all expectations and Marcus Thuram more than made up for the Belgian’s departure with 11 goals and seven assists.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, who leads the league with 23 goals, will get the Serie A trophy after Inter’s last home game against Lazio on May 19.
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