Final score

23 December 2007 15:00

Inter
18' (2nd half) Cambiasso
36' Cruz
AC Milan
18' Pirlo
Referee: Emidio Morganti / Linesmen: Romagnoli, Nicoletti / Fourth official: Mazzoleni
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
46' Half time. Inter 1-1 AC Milan.
46' Ibrahimovic's free kick hits the Rossoneri wall.
45' 1 minute of added time.
45' Jimenez collects a forward pass from Cambiasso and is chopped down from behind by Ambrosini as he shoots on goal. The Italian midfielder is booked. Free kick.
44' Javier Zanetti receives in a position 25 yards out and unleashes a fierce right-footer that finishes just wide.
39' Materazzi is booked for a foul on Kaka.
38' Luis Jimenez is booked for a foul on Pirlo.
37' Marco Materazzi comes on for Samuel.
36' El Jardinero has now scored in five consecutive games.
36' GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! Julio Cruz collects a pass from Cambiasso, evades a challenge from Seedorf and rifles past Dida. Inter 1-1 AC Milan.
33' Walter Samuel is stretchered off after pulling up with an injury.
30' Jimenez collects a pass from Ibrahimovic and looks for Cruz but his threaded pass is intercepted.
29' Cristian Chivu's curling free kick is comfortably saved by Dida.
28' Foul by Maldini on Maicon. Free kick to Inter just outside the Milan box.
24' AC clear their area with some difficulty and mount a counter-attack with Kaka. Zanetti gets back to make a brilliant tackle on the Brazilian, conceding a corner in the process.
23' Gattuso is booked for a foul on Maxwell near the left by-line.
23' Jimenez' inswinging free kick is headed behind for a corner by Clarence Seedorf.
20' Inter go close to a quick equaliser. Cruz' cross for Ibra is palmed clear by Dida. Jimenez pounces on the loose ball and shaves the crossbar with a shot from an acute angle.
18' 1-0 to them. Andrea Pirlo finds the top-left corner with one of his trademark curling free kicks. Inter 0-1 AC Milan.
16' Ivan Cordoba is booked for a last-man foul on Inzaghi. Free kick to the Rossoneri right on the edge of our area.
11' Pirlo is booked for protesting.
9' Back in the Inter half Kaka wins the Rossoneri the first corner of the game.
8' Kaladze intercepts Chivu's through ball for Julio Cruz, who would have been flagged offside.
7' Milan attack back. Seedorf swings in a cross from the left. Inzaghi's outstretched leg fails to connect.
6' Maxwell combines well with Chivu down the left, charges forward and sends a cross-shot over Dida's crossbar.
4' An early chance for Inter. Maicon collects a back pass from Jimenez and crosses to the far side where the unmarked Ibrahimovic volleys over the bar.
3' Inter win a free kick on the right channel after a terrible foul by Gattuso on Jimenez.
1' Welcome to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan's San Siro district for live text coverage of the Christmas derby.
1' Game on! Morganti blows his whistle, and the Nerazzurri kick off.
1' The derby will kick off after a minute's silence to remember the young Italian referee who died yesterday.
1' AC Milan: 1 Dida; 44 Oddo, 13 Nesta, 4 Kaladze, 3 Maldini; 8 Gattuso, 21 Pirlo, 23 Ambrosini; 22 Kaka, 10 Seedorf; 9 Inzaghi.
1' Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 2 Cordoba, 25 Samuel, 6 Maxwell; 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 26 Chivu; 11 Jimenez; 9 Cruz, 8 Ibrahimovic.
1' The teams are out warming up ahead of the 15:00 kick-off.
Minute Text commentary
49' Full time. Inter beat AC Milan 2-1.
45' Four minutes of added time.
45' Inter counter-attack. Suazo races down the middle and plays wide to Ibrahimovic who blasts wide.
43' Ambrosini (who is playing in attack for Milan) just fails to connect with Serginho's left-wing cross. What a let off for the Nerazzurri.
41' Pelé's fierce low drive from 25 yards is wide of the left post.
41' Inter bring on David Suazo for Julio Cruz. The Argentine gets a standing ovation.
39' Materazzi blocks Nesta's shot from inside the box.
37' Julio Cesar makes a brilliant save to deny Kaka.
37' Pelé wins the ball 25 yards out and shoots over.
35' Cordoba beats Gilardino to Oddo's right-wing cross. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
35' Inter bring on Jimenez for Pelé.
30' Ibrahimovic controls with his chest, drifts across the face of the box and hits a low shot just wide of the left post.
27' Cordoba clears Maldini's cross from Pirlo's quickly taken free kick.
20' Cruz turns on the style with an overhead kick from Ibrahimovic's through ball. Dida saves.
18' GOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!! Esteban Cambiasso's central shot from 25 yards finds the net after a terrible mistake by Dida.
14' Oddo blasts high and wide after Cordoba's clearance from Pirlo's corner.
14' Cruz makes a headed clearance from Serginho's corner.
13' The Rossoneri make their third change. On comes Serginho for Seedorf.
12' Cambiasso volleys wide after a headed clearance by the Milan defence.
11' Chivu's long-range shot is wide.
7' Cruz is booked for a foul from behind on Kaka. That's the seventh yellow of the afternoon.
5' Gilardino heads narrowly wide Maldini's whipped cross from the left.
2' Kaladze tackles Ibra to end a flowing counter-attack by Jimenez.
1' Milan kick off the second half.
1' Ancelotti has made a double substitution. Emerson and Gilardino replace Gattuso and Inzaghi.
Zanetti
8.22
8.22
Cordoba
7.51
7.51
Materazzi
7.62
7.62
Cruz
8.87
8.87
Cambiasso
9.41
9.41
Julio Cesar
7.66
7.66
Samuel
7.57
7.57
Maicon
7.97
7.97
Maxwell
7.43
7.43
Ibrahimovic
7.21
7.21
Suazo
7.32
7.32
Jimenez
8.56
8.56
Chivu
7.77
7.77
Pelé
7.31
7.31
Average rating 7.89
3 shots on target 3
8 shots off target 7
24 fouls committed 20
3 corners 8
4 offsides 3
25:41 ball possession 24:11
Mancini v Ancelotti

The two coaches have met on 15 occasions. Mancini has won 5, drawn 3 and lost 7. The current Inter coach's only home draw against Ancelotti was a 1-1 stalemate between Lazio and AC Milan on 28 September 2002. He has won 3 and lost 4 of the other 7 home games.

Details:
2000/01 Serie A Fiorentina-Juventus 1-3 ----
2002/03 Serie A Lazio-Milan 1-1 2-2
2003/04 Coppa Italia Lazio-Milan 4-0 2-1
2003/04 Serie A Lazio-Milan 0-1 0-1
2004/05 Serie A Inter-Milan 0-1 0-0
2004/05 Champions League Inter-Milan 0-3 (forfeit) 0-2
2005/06 Serie A Inter-Milan 3-2 0-1
2006/07 Serie A Inter-Milan 2-1 4-3

Mancini v AC Milan

Inter coach Roberto Mancini has won 6, drawn 3 and lost 7 of his 16 competitive encounters with AC Milan.

Details:
2000/01 Serie A Fiorentina-Milan ---- 2-1
2001/02 Serie A Fiorentina-Milan ---- 2-5
2002/03 Serie A Lazio-Milan 1-1 2-2
2003/04 Coppa Italia Lazio-Milan 4-0 2-1
2003/04 Serie A Lazio-Milan 0-1 0-1
2004/05 Serie A Inter-Milan 0-1 0-0
2004/05 Champions League Inter-Milan 0-3 tav 0-2
2005/06 Serie A Inter-Milan 3-2 0-1
2006/07 Serie A Inter-Milan 2-1 4-3

Ancelotti v Inter

In 24 matches against Inter, current AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti has collected 13 wins, 5 draws and 6 defeats. His Rossoneri teams have scored in each away game against Inter, netting 12 goals in 7 derbies.

Details:
1996/97 Serie A Parma-Inter 1-0 1-3
1997/98 Serie A Parma-Inter 1-0 0-1
1998/99 Serie A Juventus-Inter ---- 0-0
1999/00 Serie A Juventus-Inter 1-0 2-1
2000/01 Serie A Juventus-Inter 3-1 2-2
2001/02 Serie A Milan-Inter 0-1 ----
2002/03 Serie A Milan-Inter 1-0 1-0
2002/03 Champions League Milan-Inter 0-0 1-1
2003/04 Serie A Milan-Inter 3-2 3-1
2004/05 Serie A Milan-Inter 0-0 1-0
2004/05 Champions League Milan-Inter 2-0 3-0 tav
2005/06 Serie A Milan-Inter 1-0 2-3
2006/07 Serie A Milan-Inter 3-4 1-2

Mancini's teams on fire in December

With 21 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats from 28 games Roberto Mancini's teams have a points per match average of 2.39 in December - the coach's best month of the footballing calendar. All three defeats came in the 2001/02 season when Mancini was Fiorentina boss. Since the last defeat, a 2-0 reverse at Parma precisely six years ago on 23 December 2001, Mancini's teams have played 23 games in the 12th calendar month, winning 20 and drawing 3.

Nerazzurri unbeaten in 22 league games

Inter 1-3 Roma on 18 April 2007 was the Nerazzurri's last Serie A defeat. Mancini's team have since played 23 top-flight games, winning 17 and drawing 5.

Inter's long scoring run at home

The Nerazzurri have scored in 46 consecutive league games at home, netting a total of 110 goals. Inter 0-0 Reggina on the last day of the 2004/05 season was the last time Mancini's team failed to score in a Serie A home match.

Inter's 411-minute invincibility

Floccari's 39th-minute strike in Inter 2-1 Atalanta on 24 November 2007 was the last league goal conceded by the Nerazzurri. Including the remaining 51 minutes of that game and the entire matches against Fiorentina (2-0 away win), Lazio (3-0 home win), Torino (4-0 home win) and Cagliari (2-0 away win), Inter haven't let in a goal in the Serie A for 411 competitive minutes.

Inter's records in 2007

No Serie A side has collected more points or scored more goals than Inter in 2007. The Nerazzurri have scored 77 goals and earned 89 points thanks to 27 victories, 8 draws and just 1 defeat (the 1-3 home loss to Roma in April). With 36 appearances to his name, Javier Zanetti is one of the three most present players in 2007. The other two are Empoli's Raggi and Lazio's Rocchi.

AC consistently on target away from home in 2007/08

The Rossoneri have scored in each of their last 9 away matches, netting a total of 22 goals. Milan last failed to score away from home on 27 May 2007, when they lost 2-0 at Reggina.

AC chasing fourth consecutive away win in Serie A

After victories at Lazio (5-1), Sampdoria (5-0) and Cagliari (2-1), the Rossoneri are looking for their fourth Serie A away win on the trot. AC Milan's last run of four consecutive away wins came between February and March 2005.

DA IMPLEMENTARE
wins(39) draws(31) defeats(31)

MILAN - Inter won the Christmas derby 2-1 to take a seven-point lead over Roma into the winter break.

Andrea Pirlo put AC Milan in front but Inter produced a strong fightback with goals from Argentine pair Julio Cruz and Esteban Cambiasso.

The first chance of the game went Inter's way, an unmarked Ibrahimovic volleying over Maicon's cross after four minutes.

Milan edged in front in the 18th when Andrea Pirlo found the top-left corner with one of his trademark curling free kicks.

Inter went close to an immediate reply, Jimenez shaving the crossbar from a tight angle after Dida palmed clear a Cruz cross.

Chivu then had a free kick saved by Dida as the Nerazzurri battled hard for a leveller.

It came in the 36th, with the Nerazzurri temporarily down to ten men after losing Samuel to injury.

Julio Cruz received in the area from Cambiass and shrugged off a challenge from Seedorf before rifling past Dida for his fifth goal in as many games and twelfth of the season.

Milan made a bright start to the second period and went close through substitute Gilardino whose header from Maldini's cross finished just wide.

Cambiasso secured the points on 63 minutes. He won the ball after a headed clearance from Cruz' left-wing centre and beat Dida with a right-footed drive from 20 yards.

The Nerazzurri survived a few scares in the closing stages. Julio Cesar denied Kaka with a brilliant save, Materazzi blocked a goalbound shot from Nesta, and Ambrosini just failed to connect with Serginho's cross for what would have been a certain equaliser.

Inter 2-1 AC Milan (HT: 1-1)

Scorers: Pirlo 18, Cruz 36, Cambiasso 63.

Inter: 12 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 2 Cordoba, 25 Samuel (23 Materazzi 37), 6 Maxwell; 4 Zanetti, 19 Cambiasso, 26 Chivu; 11 Jimenez (30 Pelé 80); 9 Cruz (29 Suazo 86), 8 Ibrahimovic.
Subs not used: 22 Orlandoni, 16 Burdisso, 18 Crespo, 31 Cesar.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.

AC Milan: 1 Dida; 44 Oddo, 13 Nesta, 4 Kaladze, 3 Maldini; 8 Gattuso (5 Emerson 46), 21 Pirlo, 23 Ambrosini; 22 Kaka, 10 Seedorf (27 Serginho 58); 9 Inzaghi (11 Gilardino 46).
Subs not used: 16 Kalac, 2 Cafu, 25 Bonera, 32 Brocchi.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti.

Referee: Emidio Morganti (Ascoli Piceno).

Booked: Pirlo 11, Cordoba 16, Gattuso 23, Jimenez 38, Materazzi 39, Ambrosini 45, Cruz 52.

starting lineups

Julio Cesar 12 Dida
Maicon 13 Oddo
Cordoba 2 Nesta
Samuel 25 Kaladze
Maxwell 6 Maldini
Zanetti 4 Gattuso
Cambiasso 19 Pirlo
Chivu 26 Ambrosini
Jimenez 11 Kaka
Ibrahimovic 8 Seedorf
Cruz 9 Inzaghi

substitutes

Orlandoni 22 Kalac
Burdisso 16 Cafu
Crespo 18 Emerson
Materazzi 23 Gilardini
Suazo 29 Bonera
Pelé 30 Serginho
Cesar 31 Brocchi