Why Stephan El Shaarawy Is the Key to Victory for AC Milan vs. Inter

Stephan El Shaarawy is trying to build a comeback on one goal. It’s a hard thing to do. 

When he scored against Sampdoria early in November, he crumpled on his knees and pumped his arms. It was his first strike in 622 days, not a small triumph for a 22-year-old who spent the last year rehabilitating from a long string of injuries. 

Then he played for Italy, if only for 39 minutes—the ultimate stamp of validation for a player working to get his confidence back.

The next step for El Shaarawy is the derby against Inter, and a goal against them would go a long way for him and AC Milan if they have any intention of winning.

Without a regular output of goals from Fernando Torres and Giampaolo Pazzini, the Rossoneri have put the responsibility on nontraditional means. Keisuke Honda (off the wing) and Jeremy Menez (as a false nine) did most of the scoring in the early going, but defenders (Adil Rami) and midfielders (Nigel de Jong, Sulley Muntari) also chipped in.

But now is the time for El Shaarawy to take a full share of the duties, even if he himself is not a genuine goalscorer.

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“El Shaarawy has great potential, he is young and he is going through the phase of becoming a footballer,” said Italy coach Antonio Conte (h/t Football Italia). “It’s up to him to either become a normal football player or a great football player.”

A big performance against Inter always counts for double. Look at some of the previous greats who contributed to the rivalry: Kaka scoring his first-ever goal for the club against Inter, Andriy Shevchenko scoring twice in a record 6-0 win over the Nerazzurri and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring for both teams.

If El Shaarawy really wants to be a key member of this team in the future, he has to be a player the other team hates and recognizes. He has to build a character that lasts in the derby.

For El Shaarawy, it is also a matter of deciding what kind of a player he wants to be: someone like Samuel Eto’o who offers a two-way game in offence and defence, or someone like Ezequiel Lavezzi who roams around and does a bit of everything. The fans expect goals as if he’s a striker, but he isn’t. But goals can be his mistress: not a priority but a part of his life (read: career). 

El Shaarawy could also alleviate all the pressure on the strikers. Torres is trying to do his job, but there is only so much he can do with the kind of service a striker needs. Honda can’t do it all on his own either: His six early goals in Serie A restored his confidence—and that of the fans—but he is still playing out of position on the wing, even though he is best served behind the forwards, teeing up the plays.

What is certain is that Milan enter the derby as an incomplete project, much like El Shaarawy. But the derby is always a great time to make a mark.