Inter has a tight budget and Atalanta snatches a draw: can Milan really dream?

Inter trembles and Milan raises its head. After the defeat in the Milan derby, Cristian Chivu's team stumbles again with another misstep at San Siro, held to a 1-1 draw by Atalanta. A point that weighs heavily, and that especially exposes a worrying “tightness” of the leaders, who appeared stiffened by the fear of winning and lacking their offensive beacon Lautaro Martinez.

Yet the evening had started off on the right track for the Nerazzurri: in the 26th minute, Pio Esposito broke the deadlock by taking advantage of a loose ball in the area, amidst protests from Bergamasque players for an alleged foul by Dumfries at the origin of the action.

However, instead of sealing the deal, Inter lacked ruthlessness and character. Marcus Thuram, still far from his best condition, missed a potential second goal at the start of the second half, getting hypnotized by an excellent Carnesecchi.

The inability to close the match turned the finale into a nightmare for the Meazza: in the 83rd minute, Krstovic froze the stadium by scoring the 1-1, born from a highly debated contact between Sulemana and Dumfries. The vibrant protests from the Nerazzurri also cost Chivu's expulsion. There were also controversies over a very suspicious contact in the area on Frattesi that the referee allowed to go on (as did VAR).

Beyond the refereeing controversies, the image of an Inter suddenly lost emerges. The absence due to a muscle injury of Lautaro Martinez weighs like a boulder: without the “Toro,” the offensive front loses its leader, the man capable of attacking depth, providing support, and dragging the group in critical moments. Relying entirely on the shoulders of promising young players like Pio Esposito and Bonny is proving to be a gamble in moments of maximum pressure.

The team builds but tends to become complacent, psychologically suffering from the opponents' comeback and showing a clear hesitation in making the decisive break.

While Inter licks its wounds over the points thrown away, on the Rossoneri side of the Navigli, the dream of a sensational title chase takes shape. The recent victory in the derby has rejuvenated the Devil, now 8 points behind the top with ten matches still to play (and on Sunday there's Lazio with the possibility of closing to 5 points). Massimiliano Allegri, Milan's coach, however, tries to dampen the enthusiasm and preaches realism: “There is only one way for the Scudetto: that we win the matches and Inter loses”.

Yet, in the red and black environment, the enthusiasm is overwhelming and memories rush back to historical courses and recourses. In 1999, the Milan team of Alberto Zaccheroni closed a seven-point gap on the league leaders Lazio with only seven matches left, completing a comeback that has become legendary. One of the heroes of that journey, former striker Oliver Bierhoff, rallied Allegri's team: “Yes, I believe in the comeback. In the derby, I saw a motivated team... the Scudetto feat is possible”. The race for the Scudetto is officially back on.