How Milan became Inter’s kryptonite: Inzaghi’s last chance to end Derby struggles | OneFootball

In what has been a hugely disappointing season, there is a positive aspect that hasn’t gone unnoticed among Milan fans: they have finally ended a nightmare streak against city rivals Inter, remaining unbeaten in four Derby della Madonnina meetings so far.

After one of the most successful periods in the history of their rivalry, marked by six consecutive victories from 2023 to 2024, Inter suddenly found themselves struggling whenever they faced the Diavolo, despite being considered the favourites on each occasion.

epa12005993 Tammy Abraham celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Italian Cup semi final first leg soccer match between AC Milan and Inter at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium EPA-EFE/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

Tammy Abraham hurt Simone Inzaghi’s side again in their Coppa Italia semi-final first leg, adding to his seasonal tally against the Nerazzurri, which already included an injury-time winner in their dramatic 3-2 comeback win in the Supercoppa Italiana final.

From six victories to four-game winless run: how Milan became Inter’s kryptonite

While many Milan fans accused former coach Stefano Pioli of fielding a side that had his weaknesses constantly exposed against Inter, his departure doesn’t fully explain how the Rossoneri have become their rivals’ kryptonite, as La Gazzetta dello Sport puts it.

It is hard to understand how a six-game winning run was suddenly turned into a four-match winless streak, especially in a season where the gap between the two sides in Serie A would suggest otherwise.

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 02: Christian Pulisic of AC Milan tries to get past Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale during the Coppa Italia Semi Final match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 02, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

However, Inzaghi now risks finishing a season without winning any Derby della Madonnina for the first time since 2021-2022, with the second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal on April 23 being his last chance to break the spell.

As much as Paulo Fonseca and especially Sergio Conceiçao, unbeaten in his three meetings against Inter, seemed to pose different and new tactical problems for Simone Inzaghi, the Nerazzurri’s inability to secure a win likely stems from a combination of factors.

While the Beneamata has faced huge pressure to keep proving their superiority after a successful run and a much better campaign, the Rossoneri seem to light up every time they challenge Inter this season, as if the desire to move past a tragic phase of their rivalry has helped them play free of any conditioning.

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 02: Rafael Leao of AC Milan controls the ball ahead of Matteo Darmian of FC Internazionale during the Coppa Italia Semi Final match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 02, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

However, the last two derbies suggested that the Nerazzurri might be gradually rediscovering their confidence—they managed to come back from behind and avoid defeat both times, hitting the woodwork three times in their February Serie A clash and finishing on a higher note in their latest encounter on Wednesday, despite relying on a heavily depleted squad.

Their final meeting of the season in late April will be decisive—one last chance for Inter to prove they can reclaim the upper hand, or for Milan to confirm their newfound derby dominance.