Inter Seal 20th Scudetto with Historic Derby Win Over Milan

Inter wrote the defining page of their season in the most charged setting available, beating Milan 2-1 at San Siro to secure the club’s 20th Italian title and the second star on the Nerazzurri shirt. With five rounds still unplayed, Simone Inzaghi’s side sealed the Scudetto in a derby for the first time in Serie A history, extending their winning run against their city rivals to six matches.

A derby that settled the championship

The rain and cold around Milan did not lessen the occasion. Thousands of Inter supporters had accompanied the team bus towards San Siro, while the stadium greeted the sides with elaborate displays from both sets of fans. Before kick-off, the crowd observed a minute’s silence for Mattia Giani.

Milan knew what was at stake: preventing their rivals from celebrating the title in front of them. Stefano Pioli selected Rafael Leao through the middle, seeking fewer fixed reference points and more depth in attack. Inter began with their familiar 3-5-2, led by captain Lautaro Martinez alongside Marcus Thuram.

How Inter earned the second star

1. Inter pressed early, but the first major opening came from a corner in the 18th minute. Federico Dimarco delivered, Benjamin Pavard made contact, and Francesco Acerbi headed in to give Inter the lead. It was the defender’s third Serie A goal of the campaign.

2. Inter had opportunities to add a second before the interval. Lautaro fired over from close range after Dimarco’s cross, while Thuram struck the post following a fast break involving Nicolo Barella. At the other end, Yann Sommer saved from Leao and later made an important stop from Davide Calabria.

3. Milan introduced Olivier Giroud shortly after the restart, but Inter doubled their advantage in the 49th minute. Thuram cut inside, surged beyond Fikayo Tomori and finished across Mike Maignan. Having scored in the first league derby of the season, the French forward did so again when it mattered most.

4. Pioli turned to Samuel Chukwueze, Ismael Bennacer and Noah Okafor as Milan pursued a response. Inter made changes of their own, with Carlos Augusto, Davide Frattesi, Kristjan Asllani and Stefan de Vrij entering during the second half.

5. Milan found a route back in the 80th minute. Sommer saved from Matteo Gabbia after a move involving Chukwueze and Leao, but the ball returned to Tomori, who headed home. Christian Pulisic had earlier sent a shot over as Milan sought to reopen the contest.

6. The final minutes became increasingly tense. Inzaghi was booked, while Theo Hernandez and Denzel Dumfries were dismissed after a confrontation in stoppage time. Milan captain Davide Calabria was then sent off following an incident with Frattesi.

7. When the final whistle arrived after 97 minutes, Inter had their 2-1 victory and the title. The players ran towards their supporters, while Lautaro and Hakan Calhanoglu were among those overcome by emotion. Alessandro Bastoni held a tricolour bearing the number 20.

A title built over the season

The derby was the finishing point rather than the entire explanation. Inter’s campaign had established a clear margin over the rest of the division, and the victory allowed them to match the Serie A record for an earliest title win: five matches remaining. Napoli in 2022-23, Juventus in 2018-19, Inter in 2006-07, Fiorentina in 1955-56 and Torino in 1947-48 had also done so.

For Inzaghi, the championship strengthened a body of work that had already brought cup success. The coach said the feeling was “wonderful” and thanked president Steven Zhang, his family and the club’s staff. He also remembered Claudio Lotito and Igli Tare for giving him the opportunity to begin coaching at a high level.

“Many told me not to take the Inter job because the club had just won,” Inzaghi said. “But I knew there was a chance to continue a cycle with excellent directors. There were difficult periods, but we kept working and never gave up.”

Inter vice-president Javier Zanetti said the players may not yet grasp the scale of their achievement. “The second star will stay forever in our club’s history,” he said, praising Inzaghi’s management of difficult moments and his work ethic.

Chief executive Giuseppe Marotta dedicated the success to Zhang and the supporters, while also recognising sporting directors Piero Ausilio and Dario Baccin, Zanetti and the wider workforce at the club. Marotta argued that a core of Italian players had been important in understanding the demands of Serie A, particularly away from the major stadiums.

Ausilio pointed to long-term planning behind the team’s construction. He said Thuram had been identified two years earlier and credited Inter’s scouts, adding that the forward’s impact reflected preparation that began well before his arrival.

Lautaro and Thuram at the centre

Lautaro’s season had supplied a substantial share of the title drive, with 23 league goals in 29 appearances at this stage. The captain did not score in the derby, but his role in the campaign and the emotion of the night were unmistakable.

In tears after the match, Lautaro dedicated the victory to his family, including his wife and children in Argentina, and to his team-mates. He described winning a second Scudetto as “twice the happiness” and said that lifting it as captain, against Milan, was extraordinary. Asked about his contract situation, he said discussions would continue with the club.

Thuram’s goal once more underlined his place in the season’s decisive cast. His father Lilian watched from the stands as Marcus moved closer to his first Italian championship, and the striker’s clinical second-half finish gave Inter the cushion they ultimately needed.

Dimarco, an Inter supporter long before becoming a first-team player, looked ahead to celebrating in Piazza Duomo. He thanked his wife, children, parents and personal trainer, and said the squad had made history. His promise for the open-top bus, whenever it takes place, was simple: only Inter songs.

Milan accept the gap

Milan’s disappointment was sharpened by the opponent and the setting. The Rossoneri had won only three of 14 meetings with Inter under Pioli before this derby, drawing two and losing nine, and this result became his 10th defeat against their neighbours across competitions.

Pioli called the result a heavy defeat because of everything surrounding it, but he made no attempt to dispute the champions’ standing. “Inter are the strongest team in the league,” he said. “If the gap between them and the others is so large, then those chasing, including us, still have a great deal to do.”

Milan chief executive Giorgio Furlani congratulated Inter and said Milan had wanted to occupy that position themselves. With second place still to secure, he described the season as one of change and reaffirmed that the club would continue building with the objective of winning.

A city turns Nerazzurri

At full time, Inter’s dressing room echoed with the chant, “Milan is ours,” while celebrations spilled beyond the stadium despite the weather. Supporters made for Piazza Duomo with flags, banners and symbols of the new second star. Fireworks and songs accompanied the first hours of a long night across the city.

Zhang marked the club’s 116-year history and its 20 championships in a message to the Inter community worldwide. He called the second star a historic milestone that few clubs can reach, one created collectively by the club and its supporters.

Juventus also sent congratulations, while Filippo Inzaghi said the title represented the confirmation of his brother Simone’s status as a coach, following previous cup successes.

For Inter, the number 20 will remain the lasting image. Yet the decisive memory of this championship will carry the particular weight of a wet April night at San Siro: Acerbi’s header, Thuram’s finish, Tomori’s late resistance, and a derby that delivered the Scudetto directly into Nerazzurri hands.