SNAPSHOTS | Inter vs. Atalanta in 1998: the Nerazzurri's 90th anniversary, Kanu and...

Monday will see Antonio Conte’s men take on Atalanta on the eve of the Nerazzurri’s birthday. In 1998, Inter played the same side just a few days after 9 March – 14 March to be precise. It was a crucial period for Simoni’s side, who were set to play their second-leg quarter-final clash against Schalke 04 in the UEFA Cup on 17 March and couldn’t afford to slow down in the league.

The photos from the Nerazzurri’s clash against La Dea speak for themselves and bring with them a sense of nostalgia. When looking at them, memories come flooding back.

The afternoon at San Siro started with a huge Nerazzurri shirt covering a large section of the San Siro turf to celebrate the Club’s 90th anniversary. The team took to the pitch wearing a celebratory shirt, and then the match kicked off. A win wasn’t a given and Inter started slowly, but a red card for Atalanta’s Rustico would help set the Nerazzurri train in motion.

A crucial change was made in the 51st minute, with Colonnese being replaced by Kanu. Nwankwo hadn’t enjoyed an easy time of things: his career and Nerazzurri adventure had stalled due to a congenital heart defect and he'd done a lot of waiting following an operation. At the time, the tall Nigerian striker was still only 21 years old, and he had still yet to score his first Inter goal.

However, he wasn’t the first player to really take centre stage that day. Indeed, it was Moriero who opened the scoring following one of his runs down the right. A lovely finish across Alberto Fontana, a future Inter goalkeeper, with his right foot. Usually, Moriero would be the ‘shoeshiner’ when celebrating a Nerazzurri goal. That day, however, it was Zamorano’s turn to ‘polish’ the right boot of our number 17.

Then, Kanu got on the scoresheet after chesting the ball down and shooting through the legs of the goalkeeper. An unforgettable dance together with Ivan Zamorano followed.

Inter would go on to run out 4-0 winners. Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo got in on the act and added a third; then, a more surprising goal followed as Benoit Cauet fired home a free kick.