This is the fifth match-up between Allegri and Ranieri in competitive fixtures, with 1 win for Allegri, 1 draw and 2 wins for Ranieri. All three victories were obtained by the away side. In the 4 previous games Ranieri's teams have always been on target, netting 6 goals in the process.

This is the eighth time Allegri has met Inter in competitive fixtures as a coach: the current Rossoneri coach has won 4, drawn 1 and lost 2 of the 7 previous encounters. He has won all 3 of the Milan derbies he has been involved in so far.

Inter have had more different goalscorers (14) than any other team in Serie A 2011/12. The 14 Nerazzurri to have hit the net this season are Alvarez, Cambiasso, Castaignos, Coutinho, Faraoni, Forlan, Lucio, Maicon, Milito, Nagatomo, Pazzini, Ranocchia, Sneijder and Thiago Motta. Right behind Inter in this particular goalscorers' chart are AC Milan, who have had 13 different players on the score sheet: Aquilani, Boateng, Cassano, El Shaarawy, Ibrahimovic, Nesta, Nocerino, Pato, Robinho, Seedorf, Thiago Silva, Yepes and Zambrotta.

Inter, along with ChievoVerona, have hit the target through substitutes more times (5) than any other side in Serie A 2011/12. The Nerazzurri who have scored after coming off the bench are Milito (2), Cambiasso, Castaignos and Faraoni (1 apiece). AC Milan have scored 4 goals through substitutes: Boateng (3) and El Shaarawy (1).

The last time AC Milan lost at home in Serie A was on 18 December 2010 when Roma – coached by Claudio Ranieri - edged a 0-1 win. In the 18 home games played in the league since then, the Rossoneri have racked up 13 wins and 5 draws.

Should he feature today, Diego Alberto Milito will celebrate his 200th appearance in competitive fixtures while playing for Italian clubs. His previous 199 appearances (playing for Genoa and Inter) are divided as follows: 102 in Serie A, 59 in Serie B, 12 in Coppa Italia, 21 in European cup competitions and 5 in other tournaments. Milito made his debut in Italy on 1 February 2004 in Genoa 1-1 Ascoli (Serie B).

Inter have scored at least once in each of their last 14 competitive away fixtures, netting 21 goals in the process. The last time the Nerazzurri failed to score away from home was on 16 April, when the lost 2-0 at Parma (Serie A).

AC Milan have been awarded more penalties than any other team in the 2011/12 Serie A campaign: 6, all of which were converted. Inter are one of two sides in Serie A 2011/12 (along with Cesena) to have had the most penalties given against them: 6, with 3 scored and 3 missed.

The last time a competitive match between the two Milan sides finished all square was on 24 October 2004, when a goalless draw was played out in a Serie A fixture at the Meazza (with AC Milan "at home"). In the 16 competitive fixtures played since then, there have been 9 wins for the Rossoneri and 7 for the Nerazzurri.

MILAN - If AC Milan's last home loss in the Serie A came courtesy of the work of Claudio Ranieri (on 18 December 2010) then there must be a reason. Well, there is. And today the Nerazzurri coach did it again thanks to a goal from Diego Milito that decided the derby against AC Milan in the Week 18 match of the 2011/12 Serie A season. The Nerazzurri now have 32 points and their path restarts here.

There were two chances for each team in the first half of the match at the San Siro: a goal from Thiago Motta disallowed for Samuel and Milito being offside in the 5th minute followed by a super save from Abbiati on a shot from Alvarez. The Rossoneri hit the crossbar through Van Bommel with Emanuelson touching the ball just over in the 45th minute. It was then El Principe who opened the scoring just 9 minutes into the second half with a surgical left-footer that sealed the match for Inter at 1-0.

FIRST HALF - In his first Milan derby, Ranieri cleared up any doubts and named the same formation that defeated Parma in the previous game, preferring Alvarez to Sneijder, who began on the bench, and entrusting the attack to the pair of Milito and Pazzini (with the Argentine playing his 200th competitive match in his professional career in Italy). Allegri chose Pato up top with Ibrahimovic, while Emanuelson acted as playmaker behind them. A sold-out San Siro observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the shipwreck tragedy off the coast of the Isola del Giglio and Nicholas Savarino, a local police officer hit and killed by an SUV in Milan.

Lucio provided the first spark in the 3rd minute, stealing the ball from Zambrotta and quickly launching a counterattack for Inter that saw Maicon cross low into the box, only for the Rossoneri to intercept the ball. Just a couple minutes later van Bommel's foul on Pazzini gave a free kick to Inter that was taken by Maicon; Thiago Motta moved forward from deep to head into the goal but his effort was disallowed due to Samuel and Milito being in an offside position, despite not influencing the play. Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed himself to be dangerous from the edge of the box when Julio Cesar dropped low to save his effort, but even more dangerous was the triangular play between Boateng, Emanuelson and Pato that ended with the Brazilian volleying high. On 20 minutes Cambiasso blocked a shot from Pato to give up a corner kick, from which Boateng nearly pierced the Nerazzurri defence, only to see his right-footer on the turn go just over. The one-two between Maicon and Milito sent Inter in front of the goal before Nesta closed down, just as Samuel did on Pato at the other end on an inviting low cross from Ibrahimovic. In the 32nd minute the Swede demonstrated some of the skills he learned from taekwondo when he sent his back-heeled effort over the bar from Boateng's cross. Inter came very close to scoring in the 39th minute when Nagatomo's cross found Alvarez in front of the goal; the Argentine controlled with his right before trying to place a shot with his left that Abbiati blocked with his feet. On 45 minutes there were two chances for AC Milan when van Bommel hit the crossbar before the rebound fell to Emanuelson, whose left-footed volley forced a save from Julio Cesar. After 2 minutes of injury time the half ended at 0-0.

SECOND HALF – The teams came out of the dressing room and took to the pitch with the same 22 players, but with a Milito soon to set off the fireworks; he sent the Nerazzurri fans in the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza into rapture when, after Abate failed to clear a cross from Alvarez, he placed an unstoppable left-footed shot past Abbiati and inside the far post to make it 0-1. However, it was a right-footer from Nagatomo, deflecting off of Nesta, that saw the Rossoneri keeper dive to push out the ball for a corner seven minutes later. Next it was Julio Cesar's turn to do his part and punch away a teasing cross from Ibra with Pato lurking nearby. Nagatomo, served by Milito, cut inside from the left and shot, but his effort was too central to bother Abbiati. Then, 76 minutes into the match and after two and a half months away, Sneijder returned to the pitch, coming on for Milito, who exited to a warm round of applause. Julio Cesar showed again why he is so decisive when a creative Ibra passed to Nocerino, who dished the ball to Pato on the turn, but the Brazilian's touch was thwarted by his compatriot in the Nerazzurri goal. Julio Cesar was again called into action on back-to-back chances from AC Milan: in the 83rd minute he punched away Seedorf's shot from distance, followed by a scramble to close down Ibra, served by Robinho, before the referee Orsato whistled the Swede for being in an offside position. Then after three minutes of injury time Orsato whistled again to bring the derby to an end, with Inter walking out victorious.

Inter 0-1 AC Milan (HT: 0-0)
Scorer: Milito 54.

AC Milan: 32 Abbiati; 20 Abate, 13 Nesta, 33 Thiago Silva, 19 Zambrotta (Robinho 66); 27 Boateng, 4 Van Bommel, 22 Nocerino (Seedorf 90); 28 Emanuelson; 7 Pato (El Shaarawy 83), 11 Ibrahimovic.
Unused subs: 1 Amelia, 5 Mexes, 23 Ambrosini, 25 Bonera.
Coach: Massimiliano Allegri.

Inter: 1 Julio Cesar; 13 Maicon, 6 Lucio, 25 Samuel, 55 Nagatomo; 4 Zanetti, 8 Thiago Motta, 19 Cambiasso, 11 Alvarez (Chivu 67); 22 Milito (Sneijder 76), 7 Pazzini (Forlan 90).
Unused subs: 12 Castellazzi, 20 Obi, 23 Ranocchia, 37 Faraoni.
Coach: Claudio Ranieri.

Referee: Daniel Orsato (Schio).
Booked: Nagatomo 64, Nesta 68, Thiago Motta 89, El Shaarawy 90+2.
Added time: 2+3 minutes.

starting lineups

substitutes