Pierluigi - Courage

Nicola Berti, score us a goal. And Nicola never failed to deliver. For Inter fans, there was no sweeter sight than Berti finding the net in the derby. It first happened in 1990, with just five minutes remaining, in front of the Rossoneri supporters. A 1-0 win, courtesy of Berti. The perfect derby, a night to remember. And one that would prove almost impossible to repeat. Over the next four years, Inter played nine Milan derbies, drawing four and losing five. The derby had become something of a curse, and breaking it would take a fresh spark.

A few months earlier, the European Under-21 Championship final had seen Cesare Maldini's Italy take on a Portugal side featuring Figo and Rui Costa. The Azzurrini boasted plenty of talent of their own, with Cannavaro, Inzaghi, Galante and Vieri, alongside Toldo between the posts.

The match goes into extra time, where a new rule is being trialled. The first team to score wins, just like in the games we played as kids. It's called Sudden Death. A rather grim name, and one that FIFA will eventually replace with the less ominous Golden Goal. There will also be a variation known as the Silver Goal, where the team leading at the end of the first period of extra time wins.

Italy have been down to ten men since the 70th minute following Delli Carri's dismissal, but the Azzurrini know that one moment of brilliance is all it takes. And here it comes. An Italian player picks up the ball, cuts inside and unleashes a thunderous strike from outside the box into the top corner. Italy are European champions, and the hero is Pierluigi Orlandini. A right winger with exceptional dribbling ability, he plays for Atalanta.

It was a goal that raised expectations. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Inter signed him, but Orlandini was nowhere to be seen in the opening weeks of the season. He made a brief appearance in late August, playing eleven minutes against Padova in the Coppa Italia, before an injury sidelined him. His chance finally came in the Coppa Italia, with a Milan derby in the third round, the last 16. Milan were a formidable side, reigning champions of both Italy and Europe. Inter, meanwhile, had won the UEFA Cup the previous season but had also come dangerously close to a shock relegation from Serie A, only securing safety in the closing stages of the campaign. And, as we know, the Nerazzurri hadn't won a derby in four years. Milan took the lead through Donadoni, and the tie looked all but settled, especially with Inter at home and the away-goals rule in place. But the Nerazzurri refused to give up, and in the 56th minute they had a chance to get back into the game. With no designated penalty taker on the pitch, the youngest player stepped forward. Pierluigi Orlandini sent Sebastiano Rossi the wrong way. It was his first start in an Inter shirt. And he wasn't finished yet. A few minutes later, he started the move that led to Giuseppe Bergomi's goal. Two weeks later, Inter won the return leg by the same 2-1 scoreline. The scorer of the decisive goal? Once again, Pierluigi Orlandini.

It would be another three years and three months before Milan won a derby again. Sometimes, all it took to change things was a little courage.