AC Milan v Inter Milan: 5 Things We Learned from Derby Della Madonnina

Inter Milan defeated bitter rivals AC Milan 1-0 on Sunday in the Derby Della Madonnina. The victory pulled the Nerazzurri back into the race for the Serie A title, five points behind AC Milan and six behind league-leading Juventus.

Argentine forward Diego Milito scored the match-winner in the 54th minute. But while the game featured only one goal, it had plenty of excitement.

Here are five things we learned from a cracking Milan Derby.

Never, Ever Forget About Diego Milito

We've known this for years, of course, but every now and then we need a swift kick in the pants to remind us.

Leave Diego Milito alone at your own peril.

Granted, it's been a weird enough season for anyone to question the 2009-10 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. Before Serie A went on its short winter break in December, Milito had scored just four league goals.

He grabbed two goals in Inter's first game back from break, a 5-0 thrashing of Parma. Then, on Sunday, he showed us a little bit of the good and a whole lot more of the bad.

In the 54th minute, Milito got loose off the flank of the AC Milan defense thanks to an error by defender Ignazio Abate. By the time Milan found him again, Milito was already wheeling away on his celebration run after a typically expert far-post finish.

It's no stretch to say the goal reminded us why he was named the 2009-10 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. But it was also literally Milito's only meaningful contribution of the match.

Milito played 76 minutes Sunday, and AC Milan kept him bottled up for more than 75 of those. But in that brief moment of lapse, Milito made them pay, and it cost them the game.

The lesson: Never, ever forget about Milito.

Serie A Race: Game On!

Inter's players celebrated with gusto after the final whistle. And why not?

A few months ago, Inter languished near the bottom of the Serie A table. Former coach Gian Piero Gasperini was let go and in came Claudio Ranieri (more on him later).

Since then, the Nerazzurri have taken flight. Sunday's win was their sixth straight, and after fighting to extricate themselves from the relegation zone early in the season, they're now legitimate title contenders.

How legitimate? Inter are five points behind AC Milan and six behind league-leading Juventus.

To quote the immortal Wayne and Garth, "Game on!"

Claudio Ranieri Is (Apparently) A Genius

We're not quite sure what Claudio Ranieri has done with Inter, but it's working.

The roster is exactly the same as it was under Gasperini. The opponents haven't changed. AC Milan, unbeaten in 12 games before Sunday and perfect against Inter in three contests under manager Massimiliano Allegri, weren't exactly in a crisis.

The only difference was Ranieri, the guy Roman Abramovich ran off from Chelsea in 2004 to get Jose Mourinho.

Can that be it? If so, it would mark a departure for Ranieri, whose managerial highlight to this point is a solitary Coppa Italiana triumph with Fiorentina in 1996.

Offensive Problems for Milan

For all their possession, AC Milan had trouble mounting serious threats against Inter. Milan created chances, but even their best attacks felt disjointed.

One problem was the positioning of Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played too deep—especially in first half. When AC Milan had the ball, it was not uncommon to find Ibra in a spot you’d expect to see a holding midfielder.

That wasn't the only problem. AC Milan kept coming forward, but they lacked the cohesion necessary to break down Inter.

Their frustrations were typified by an attack in 77th minute. After Ibrahimovic crossed from the byline, the ball was touched on to Pato, who looked genuinely surprised to see the ball at his feet.

Pato put a redirected shot on goal, but it predictably didn’t trouble Inter keeper Julio Cesar.

At their flowing best, Milan would have put the chance away. And at their best, Milan probably would have beaten Inter.

There’s Still Some Attractive, Exciting Football in Italy

With the spooky images of smoke and fog hanging over the pitch in the opening minutes, it wouldn't have been surprising if Sunday's match had been a bore. Indeed, Serie A has a reputation (perhaps justified) as a defensive league that produces boring football.

But Sunday's match—especially the first half—was anything but dull.

Inter saw a goal ruled out in the opening minutes for offside, and then AC Milan threatened through Kevin-Prince Boateng, Pato and, most notably, Mark Van Bommel's thundering shot.

The challenges, meanwhile, were fierce and the pace frenetic. Inter's Walter Samuel set the bar high with a powerful, WWE-style clothesline on an unsuspecting Urby Emanuelson, and the game threatened to boil over when Ibrahimovic went flying after a challenge along the touchline.

The game finally settled down after a half-hour or so, but it never became boring. Instead, it turned into a showcase for the best of what Italian football can offer.