Every Thurday SempreInter.com editorialist, Richard Hall, takes a look back at the glorious history of Inter by highlighting a certain match, hero or any other event in Inter’s history worthy of being labelled Nerazzurri Classic’s. Ahead of Sunday’s Derby d’Italia fixture away against Juventus, Richard looks back at a fixture between the two teams where Inter ran riot over the Bianconeri.
The 1984/85 season is one that conjures up memories of the impossible, the spectacular and of tragedy. It was in this season that Inter decimated Juventus at the San Siro in the Derby d’Italia. Hellas Verona secured the Scudetto this season in one of the most shocking title wins in Italian Football history. The Veronese were a huge surprise package winning over half their games and boasting the best defence. They finished four points clear of Torino and five clear of Inter.
Overall the Nerazzurri had an average season. They improved little on the previous campaign and although finishing in the Semi-finals of the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup they had flattered to deceive on all fronts. Juventus on the other hand had a dismal season in a pitiful sixth place and they also were dumped out if the Coppa Italia in the quarter finals. It was a season that should have been turned around by the European Cup win against Liverpool. Tragically however this was marred by the Heysel disaster and there was little to celebrate.
When the two met in the Derby d’Italia it was early in November, still early in the season and ambition was still high. It was a wet day in Milan, thunder and lightning to, but the pace of the game certainly did not suffer and Inter stormed out of the blocks with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge conducting most of the play. It was the German who struck first, a fine cross from Enrico Cucchi was met by the German whose powerful header beat Stefano Tacconi despite the keeper getting a strong hand to it.
Inter soon made it two and by now it looked as though Juventus had given up the fight. After a reckless challenge the resulting free kick from Liam Brady was put perfectly onto the edge of the six yard box for Riccardo Ferri to beat all comers in thought and deed and head home for 2-0. From here on in ‘The Old Lady’ tried to rally but there continued forays into Inter’s half continued to break down and result in the Milanese counter attacking well. This being said the third goal did not come until the 75th minute when a deep corner seemed to hang in the air for an age. It seemed to wrong foot everyone in the box, all that is but Fulvio Collovati, who raced into the box unmarked, his looping header outwitted Tacconi and Inter had a third.
The Nerazzurri’s counter attacking football had been something to behold and another example of this came in the final minutes. A Juventus move again was broken apart with Inter defending deep, even with few minutes on the clock left four Inter players burst forward with Alessandro Altobelli leading the charge. He waited until the final minutes until gently playing the ball left to Rummenigge, who lashed the ball past Tacconi at his near post. The humiliation was complete and the game would go down as one of the best in the Derby d’Italia’s history.
Get in touch with Richard Hall on Twitter: @Gentleman_Ultra
