Inter vs Milan: Chivu & Allegri derby duel goes far beyond bragging rights

Inter host Milan at San Siro on Sunday evening, in the first Derby della Madonnina of the season and the first under respective new coaches Massimiliano Allegri and Cristian Chivu.

Whilst it is not Allegri’s first derby as Rossoneri coach, as he technically led the club through several in his last stint, it is his first in a new cycle and carries significant weight as his Romanian counterpart prepares for his first Milan derby since his time as a player over a decade ago.

Currently, the two teams are separated by just two points: the Nerazzurri sit atop Serie A with 24 points from their opening 11 matches, whilst the Rossoneri sit in third with 22 points – only Roma nestling in-between the two sides as the Scudetto race shapes up.

Therefore, Sunday’s derby holds extra significance, not just as a true test for two coaches looking to make their mark but as a clash with potential title ramifications that see Italy’s most free-flowing attacking side meet Allegri’s resolute Rossoneri in a match that kicks off the countdown of the final stretch of derbies to be held in the current San Siro.

As they sit at the top of the Serie A table, it is hard to level much criticism at Cristian Chivu and his Inter side.

The Romanian was brought in during the summer, with only senior coaching experience in a brief stint at Parma last season, where he helped the Gialloblu avoid relegation to Serie B. Simone Inzaghi left the Nerazzurri after the 5-0 Champions League final defeat to PSG, with the former Lazio coach taking up a post at Saudi side Al-Hilal.

Chivu’s appointment was met with some raised eyebrows, questioning the former Inter and Roma defender’s experience and overlooking his intimate knowledge with the club. Since his retirement from playing in 2014, the Romanian spent many years in the youth system at Inter, coaching the U14, U17, U18 and U19 sides before he took the job at Parma in February.

And so far, so good, for Chivu at Inter. Not only do they lead their domestic league but have kept up a 100% start to this season’s Champions League campaign, one of just three teams to win all four of their opening games. Despite a minor scare in their most recent continental clash against Kairat Almaty, the Nerazzurri were still able to win the match, although complacency looked to be their biggest opponent on the night.

It is not the matches against smaller opposition that have been Chivu’s real problem, however, but against the country’s best teams.

So far, Inter have played Juventus, Napoli and Roma, but their only win of the three came in October’s 1-0 win against the Giallorossi. In September, the Derby d’Italia culminated in a 4-3 win for Juventus, after a topsy-turvy match that saw Vasilije Adzic score a wonderful long-range effort to sink the Nerazzurri in stoppage time. Then, at the end of the October, Chivu’s Inter faced their biggest test yet: against Scudetto champions Napoli.

Once again, the match did not end in Inter’s favour, with the Partenopei emerging as 3-1 victors on a clear evening in Naples. If Chivu really wants to help bring about a new age for Inter, he must first learn to conquer their rivals. A win over Milan would not only allow for bragging rights and a five point lead over their rivals, but also show that the team can go head-to-head directly with the biggest teams and emerge victorious.

Whilst Chivu has never faced Milan as a coach, with Parma having played the Rossoneri both at home and away prior to the Romanian’s appointment in February, Allegri has a different story to tell.

As a coach, the Italian has faced Inter 34 times across his roles at Cagliari, Milan and Juventus and of all the teams Allegri has faced more than 15 times, the Nerazzurri are the side he has the worst record against. Allegri has just 1.32 points per game as an average across his matches against the side. Therefore, Sunday’s opposition remain the biggest thorn in his side and if the coach wants to propel the Rossoneri back to the forefront of Italian football, he must exorcise the black-and-blue demons that haunt him.

One of the major differences between Allegri’s side and their opposition has been their presence in front of goal so far this season. Inter have scored 26 times in the league, eight more than the next highest in Bologna. The likes of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram kicked off the season in great form and even fitness and injury issues suffered by both of their leading men could not slow them down, as youngsters Ange-Yoan Bonny and Francesco Pio Esposito slotted into the team seamlessly in their place.

Milan, meanwhile, face a crisis in attack. The Rossoneri have 17 goals so far, which is still the third highest in the league, but over half of those goals came against Lecce, Udinese, Pisa and Parma. Against tougher opposition, Milan have struggled, only scoring more than once in a game against Napoli. A goalless draw with Juventus and narrow 1-0 wins over Roma and Bologna underline the necessity for Milan to fix their attack.

But how do they do that? So far, Allegri has tried a number of different options. Mexican forward Santiago Gimenez has picked up where he left off last season, struggling in front of goal. The former Feyenoord man was signed last season after an impressive goalscoring record in the Netherlands. However, he has been unable to replicate this in Italy.

Summer signing Christopher Nkunku has also led the line but the Frenchman is hardly a traditional number nine and as much as he is a talented second-striker, this has not helped Milan score more goals. Rafael Leao has been reliable as a striker partner for both Nkunku and Gimenez but the Portuguese forward cannot win games on his own every week, and the Rossoneri’s tendency to try and get the ball to the former Lille man as quickly as possible, has become predictable and easier to nullify.

Gimenez and Nkunku both have goals in them though and it is down to Allegri, the Rossoneri staff and the team itself to encourage their forwards. If Milan can get their front line ticking, the Scudetto dream may prove more realistic than as was first imagined.