AC Milan and Inter face off in round nine of Serie A in what will be the 222nd Milan Derby and it could well be a tale of two No.9s – Gonzalo Higuain and Mauro Icardi – that determines the outcome of this meeting of sleeping giants who are looking to make their way back to the lofty heights they fell from.
The Derby della Madonnina has thrown up its fair share of heroes over the years. In recent memory, two of those arguably transcend the fixture as icons of a generation. Andriy Shevchenko, the record scorer in the fixture, amassed fourteen goals in the red of Milan, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored six in his years playing for both sides.
Though the strikers starting in this Milan Derby are yet to establish the same legacy as those before them, they are as vital to their respective teams’ success as those aforementioned greats.
After not scoring against his old side Napoli in the first game of the season, Higuain has gone on to score four goals in five games, including two against Chievo.
While few would have doubted he would find the net regularly, it is his link-up play with his teammates that shows how quickly he has settled at the Stadio San Siro. Despite leading the line on his own, he has rarely looked isolated and is forming a fearsome front three alongside Suso and Hakan Calhanoglu. He has shown that he is more than just a traditional and poaching No.9, which was best illustrated as he set up Patrick Cutrone for a late stoppage-time winner against Roma.
Against an Inter defence that has conceded seven goals in eight games, Milan fans will be expectant of Higuaín. However, in what may contribute to a thoroughly chaotic game at the San Siro on Sunday, Milan’s defence this season has been even worse. They are yet to keep a clean sheet in their eight league games, though they have only lost once.
The Argentine’s compatriot, Mauro Icardi, has not enjoyed the same goalscoring return in Serie A for Inter, with three goals in six games. Admittedly he scored those three in his last two matches, and his second goal against SPAL highlights how each striker may influence the game differently.
Icardi, while not boasting the same metronomic scoring record as Higuaín, has the mercurial talent to turn a match on its head, with an unexpected moment of individual brilliance.
Spectacular evidence of this was shown in the Champions League; he outmuscled PSV Eindhoven defender Daniel Schwaab as he beat him to a long ball, rounded Jeroen Zoet in goal and grabbed all three points for Inter. Furthermore, his pinpoint volley from outside the area against Tottenham the round before was further proof that, given even half a chance, Icardi can punish any team.
Which striker dominates the headlines after the derby will largely depend on whether Higuain’s teammates perform to their maximum. Higuain has not been as ruthless in front of goal this season, averaging four shots per goal compared to Icardi’s 2.5. But the Milan striker plays twice as many key passes per game as his Inter rival, and his link-up play with Suso has been a notable strength of Milan’s this season.
If they can perform, Milan have a real chance of winning the derby, while Icardi’s fortunes are more difficult to predict. He could be isolated for the entire game, as he was against Tottenham, and then, when it matters, take the only chance given to him.
