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Inter Milan vs. AC Milan - Derby Della Madonnina

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. After Milan's euphoric win over Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, the stage was set to face Inter. This derby was a mentally-stimulating match for Milan because it would be the icing on the cake to a perfect week. The Rossoneri had to make sure they didn't get too overconfident or complacent. Another potential victory was within reach against their rivals.

For the Derby della Madonnina, Allegri made three changes to the starting XI he used midweek against Barcelona. De Sciglio was put in for Constant, Nocerino for Ambrosini, and Balotelli in for Pazzini. It was interesting to see whether the players would fuel their performance with the same determination they had used against Barcelona. In the first 30 minutes, Milan were looking the better side. They had control of the midfield and more attempts at goal. The movement of Milan's players showed how comfortable they were on the ball. It was at the 21st minute El Shaarawy used his quick feet to capitalize on Kevin Prince Boateng's pass. El Shaarawy's 1st goal in the Milan derby shifted the score to 1-0 in Milan's favor. Anytime Balotelli was near the box, he was looking dangerous. He had been testing Handanovic, but couldn't get a single goal past the keeper. Milan could have been up three goals had Balotelli finished his chances. Needless to say, Milan had set the tempo of the match and Inter were looking rather disorganized in the first half.

The Milan of second half retained some composure, but it was obvious the players had slightly let go of the gas pedal. Where Milan were lacking, Inter were taking their chances. When Abbiati and Milan's defense were least expecting it, Schelotto had equalized the score with a header. The play started from Inter's throw-in combined with Nagatomo's perfect cross in the box after 71 minutes. At this point, Milan were flooring shots at Handanovic, but none were converted into goals. Overall, Milan had 18 attempts on goal compared to Inter's 10. A spectacular goal of the match could've been El Shaarawy's acrobatic scissor kick, but it was expertly blocked by Schelotto. Inter were emerging with new-found energy, but Milan did not react to it in the best possible way. Allegri made  all his substitutions after 80 minutes and they happened to be questionable. When we were all quick to judge players like Muntari and Boateng based on past performances, they had stepped up their game. Allegri had taken off Muntari, Boateng, and El Shaarawy for substitutes Ambrosini, Niang, and Bojan. It didn't make sense why he would take off the goal-scoring threats for such late substitutions who wouldn't be able to make such a big impact. It seemed as if Allegri was quite okay to walk away with a 1-1 draw at full time.

This highly anticipated Milan derby also had some standout performances. Hands down, Handanovic was the man of the match followed by Montolivo. A combination of Handanovic's key saves and Milan's poor finishing kept Inter in the game. Not only did Montolivo predict El Shaarawy would score the goal for Milan, but he was also Milan's main man in midfield. His accurate passing and tackles glued Milan as a cohesive unit.

The Derby della Madonnina is a historical affair that gives supporters from both sides immense pride. San Siro was definitely adorned with beautiful messages that added an unbelievable element to the match.

Written by: Goral Patel

Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel 

"Red like fire...black like your fear" Image via @Simo93_ (Twitter)

"You make my heart flutter...you leave me breathless" Image via @Simo93_ (Twitter)

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