Inter v Milan: previous derby meetings in the Coppa Italia

MILAN – With it all to play for after the first leg ended goalless, a fiery derby is in store in the Coppa Italia semi-finals when Inter face Milan for the 27th time in Italy’s elite cup competition. A place in the final is at stake with the away-goals rule still in play.

The previous 26 meetings have produced eight Inter wins, eight draws and ten Milan victories. It is the second time that the two clubs have met in the semi-finals, with the Rossoneri coming out on top last time in 1984/85. The most recent cup meeting, however, went the way of the Nerazzurri last season in the quarter-finals thanks to a stunning Christian Eriksen free kick.

The first meeting in the Coppa Italia was back in 1958, with Inter’s first and second cup wins (1-0 and 2-1) over Milan arriving in 1974 thanks to a goal by Roberto Boninsegna and two by Sandro Mazzola. The two Milan clubs have only met in the final once in 1977, with AC Milan clinching victory in the final game of Mazzola’s career and the last one for Nereo Rocco in the dugout for the Rossoneri.

ERIKSEN'S FREE KICK

Ahead of the goalless showdown in the first leg, the previous Coppa Italia tie between the two sides was on 26 January 2021 at the quarter-final stage. Inter clinched a semi-final berth that day by staging a comeback to respond to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s opener with a goal by Romelu Lukaku to force extra time and a winner in the 97th minute by Eriksen.

2000: BAGGIO WINS QUARTER-FINAL CLASH

While Patrick Cutrone’s winner helped Milan reach the semi-finals in 2017, the previous quarter-final meeting was a fiery affair back in 2000, with Inter winning the first leg 3-2 with goals by Christian Vieri (a stunning left-footed strike after Alvaro Recoba’s set-up), Adrian Mutu (his maiden goal for Inter) and Clarence Seedorf (a brilliant free kick) before the second leg finished 1-1 with Roberto Baggio getting on the scoresheet.

BERGOMI'S FIRST INTER GOAL

There’s also a first time to look back on among the Coppa Italia ties between the two clubs. In 1981/82, Inter and Milan met in the first stage of the competition that the Nerazzurri went on to win against Torino in the final. In the derby with Milan that ended 2-2, none other than Giuseppe Bergomi notched his first goal for the club. Two of the defender’s 28 goals for the club came against city rivals Milan in the Coppa Italia. His goal on 6 September 1981 helped Inter clinch a draw late on after goals by Walter Novellino, Alessandro Altobelli and Joe Jordan.

THE ONLY DERBY IN 1980/81

With Milan spending the 1980/81 campaign in Serie B, the only scope for a Milan derby was in the Coppa Italia, with Inter emerging victorious thanks to a goal by Altobelli on 7 September 1980 in the second round of the competition.

CURTAINS FOR MAZZOLA'S CAREER

The only Coppa Italia final between the two clubs to date in 1977, which the Rossoneri won 2-0, was also the final game in Mazzola’s illustrious career, as he bid the club farewell in the final while wearing a stunning white jersey.

1973/74: 4 DERBY WINS

The first victory came in a Coppa Italia meeting on 23 January 1974 with Boninsegna getting among the goals. There would be four intercity showdowns in total that campaign in league and cup, with Inter coming out on top on each occasion, thanks to the relentless goal-machine Boninsegna, who found the net in each clash with Milan.