UEFA Champions League: AC Milan & Inter Milan set to reignite rivalry on Europe's biggest stage

Cross-town rivals, Red vs Blue, a shared stadium and a history that goes back to 1908 - the Derby Della Madonnina, otherwise known as the Milan Derby has given the football world some riveting and exhilarating matches in the past.

What once used to be the most awaited game of the season, had lost its vigour in the last few years, with both AC Milan and Inter Milan failing to match the legendary levels of their glorious past.

However, the 2022/23 season has brought the old Italian charisma back, with both Milan and Inter reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after a long time. It had been 13 years since any one of the Milan clubs made it to the final four of the Champions League.

The last time one of these teams made it to the final four was in 2010 when Mourinho’s Inter won the title by beating Bayern Munich 2-0 and completed an unprecedented treble as well.

But only one will get the opportunity to compete for European football's top prize as AC Milan and city rivals Inter Milan have been pitted against each other in the semifinals of the Champions League.

The last time these two sides squared off against one another in the UCL was in the 2005 UEFA Champions League quarter-final at the San Siro. Back then, both the teams had top-tier players ready to battle it out for a place in the semis.

However, what followed was an example of what this fixture means to the fans.

Having taken a 2-0 lead in the first leg, AC Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko's goal in the second leg gave the Rossoneri a 3-0 lead on aggregate, with Inter looking down and out.

But a late second-half disallowed goal by Inter Milan’s Esteban Cambiasso sparked tension and frustration among the Inter supporters who started to fling multiple flares at AC Milan goalkeeper Dida who was eventually hit by one of them.

Match referee Marcus Merk had no other option but to halt the match with 20 minutes left to play. It was at this point that the famous picture of Inter’s Marco Materazzi and AC Milan’s Marco Rui was captured in front of a massive red fog caused by the flares in the stadium.

Get ready for another intense derby between the two traditional rivals.

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