Though AC Milan enjoy a better record in Europe with 7 Champions League titles and four world titles, it is Inter Milan who stand proud with their longevity in Serie A, having never been relegated since its birth in 1908.

On the other hand, AC Milan were relegated twice while winning 17 Scudettos, only one more than Inter. In recent times, results were evenly split between the arch rivals. Both sides claimed 4 wins each, from their last 8 Serie A encounters.

Tradition aside, I expect this derby to be filled with competitive fireworks. Jose Mourinho will be keen to seek revenge for the defeat by AC Milan in September. At the moment, the cosmos are aligned in his favor and he has few reasons to be envious of his neighbor.

Inter Milan enjoy a eight-point lead at the top of Serie A over third placed Milan, so even if they dropped points in this derby, the effect on the title race is not decisive. Conversely, AC Milan may be out of the reckoning if they do not grab full points, leaving Juventus and Inter to slug it out in a two horse race.

AC Milan squad is also plagued with injuries, severely compounding manager Carlo Ancelotti’s misery. Aside from Kaka, Milan have Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Borriello, Giuseppe Favalli and Emerson out injured, with Daniele Bonera suspended. Meanwhile, Inter Milan have a full squad except the suspended Mario Balotelli and Douglas Maicon, who picked up a knock in training.

Form-wise, Inter Milan are now unbeaten in 5 games since their capitulation to Atalanta in January. In those matches, their defense distinguished itself by conceding a miserly 2 goals. If Inter’s recent 3-0 demolition of Lecce was any indication, their key players are pulling their weight at the right time. Goals came from Luis Figo, remaining icon of Portugal’s “golden generation,” and the prolific Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

As for AC Milan, they are unbeaten in their last 7 Serie A outings, but such statistics are meaningless with regard to their lack of killer instinct against lesser opponents. Milan are paying for draws at Cagliari, Lecce and Torino as well as those at home to Genoa and Reggina. Conceding late equalisers, rather than not outscoring, were particularly hard to accept, given Milan’s pedigree in defense.

At least, one cannot fault AC Milan for ineptitude this season; the team played well, kept their shape and created sufficient chances. It is just that the Rossonieri need to improve on their consistency and keep their focus for the full ninety minutes.

Vice-president Adriano Galliani was blunt in his assessment of AC Milan’s predicament: “I’ve always said that the problem isn’t (playing against) Inter but the matches before and after the derby. That’s something the club, Ancelotti and the technical staff have to think about.”

Mourinho’s sarcastic statement about AC Milan also struck a chord with Galliani who said: “As for Mourinho I still think he’s a good guy and he simply says the truth: well done (David) Beckham, well done Pato, well done Milan but in the meantime Inter were six points ahead and now it’s eight.”

Jose Mourinho can also count on a lethal strikeforce to put Inter ahead in their age-old rivalries. Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the second top scorer with 14 Serie A goals, while Milan can only wring their hands at the white elephant, Ronaldinho. The Brazilian has scored only half the number of goals as Ibrahimovic and has struggled to feature in Ancelotti’s first XI.

Ronaldinho is a prime example of how Milan failed in their transfer policy by recruiting glamorous footballers who were over-the-hill and deemed dispensable by their former clubs. However, transfer strategy is not something which Mourinho can afford to gloat over.

Jose Mourinho’s acquisitions during the summer transfer window included Mancini, Alessandro Faiolhe Amantino, Sulley Ali Muntari and Ricardo Quaresma. Mancini has started just eight times in Serie A and Quaresma was lambasted by Inter fans for his erratic displays. The latter has been omitted from Inter Milan’s Champions League squad and granted a season-long loan at Chelsea.

Mourinho may not be happy with the discipline in the Inter Milan squad too. Brazilian striker, Adriano, maintains his idiosyncratic approach to punctuality and penchant for late-night parties. Mario Balotelli’s immature attitude did not improve despite a series of penalties imposed by Mourinho.

The Special One cannot help but feel slighted by these repeat offenders who pay little regard to his authority. Milan, by contrast, tout the professionalism and good manners of their newest recruit, David Beckham.

Ancelotti can take heart that the addition of David Beckham has given his team a new dimension in attack. I am not even going to dwell on the commercial benefits which is almost a certainty, once Beckham become a permanent fixture and the T-shirt printing machines are in full force as well as influx of endorsements.

When Milan beat Inter in September, they did so via a rare header from Ronaldinho. The threat from headers are likely to increase with David Beckham’s through-balls and chips into the centres.

So far, Beckham’s long-range lobs have allowed lurking forwards like Kaka to surge into space from deep in midfield and have become a prominent part of Milan’s attacking strategy.

David Beckham’s assists have led to two of Milan’s last four goals in Serie A and he has scored two of their last six, having started in every one of the last six games.

I am not surprised that David Beckham has adapted to the squad and done well. He is a top professional with ambitions and intelligence.Whether his loan spell at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy plays out to a mutually beneficial conclusion for all parties remain to be seen.

I believe the crucial factor to neutralize Jose Mourinho’s tactical and physical upper hand could be Kaka’s fitness; a fracture to his foot during last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Reggina seeming to have ruled him out. Even weaving a moment of magic as a substitute could be enough to turn the tables around.

Beckham and Ronaldinho should also be starting in this derby. If Ronaldinho has been AWOL for most of the season, he can redeem himself by recapturing his early form in this single match and scoring a goal or two, especially when Kaka is absent.

Actually, whether Inter Milan win this derby or not, I have little doubt Jose Mourinho will secure the Serie A title. Consistency has always been Mourinho’s hallmark and that has ensured his perpetual success in domestic leagues. It also helps that he has no urgent need to defeat Ancelotti, and that takes the pressure off his team.

However, even if he is backed to a corner and has to take full points, that should not be a problem given that winning is hard-wired into his system. Mourinho is also not one to take kindly to consecutive defeats.

The irony of the situation is that Jose Mourinho could yet be sacked at the end of the season. He has to better his predecessor, Roberto Mancini, who clinched three Serie A titles from 2006-2008 but was still not deemed good enough to continue as manager.

The Champions League is the yardstick which will be used to measure Mourinho’s achievement at Inter Milan. So winning the derby and Serie A title may not matter or even guarantee his job.

Jose Mourinho has a much bigger shoe to fill at Inter Milan than at Porto and Chelsea. As yet, he has not been in a position where delivering the Champions League title is considered a must and not a bonus. How will this situation affect his preparation for the imminent Champions League clash with Manchester United? Stay tuned for updates.

It is easier, he said, after his side won 1-0 at Inter Milan to reach the quarter-finals 3-0 on aggregate. “For us the Champions League is a bit easier because we can be concentrated in two games. In the Premier League the top three English clubs are tough and it is hard every game. The difference is the Premier League is for nine months.”

He gains my respect for that fair assessment. It is actually no secret that the Reds cannot last the ordeals of a full season but in cup competitions, they have a knack of consolidating their resources and delivering killer blows. Conceding the Premier League is “tougher,” and to hear it from the man himself, is something special.

In the opening minutes, Liverpool were cautious, even jittery, as they played deeply and were happy to deliver long balls upfield. Nevertheless, they kept a clean sheet despite the efforts of a rampaging Inter who were determined to repeat the contentious 1965 defeat of Bill Shankly at San Siro.

Argentine forward Julio Cruz forced Liverpool goalkeeper Reina into a brilliant one-handed save in the 9th minute. As the game progressed, Liverpool got into their stride and counter-attacked. Babel chased a long ball from Aurelio, but was foiled by keeper Julio Cesar. Liverpool opened up the game further as they ventured forward and Torres had a good chance to breach the defense but Cesar kept him at bay.

Inter were not idling either, they created an abundance of chances which went begging. They shot themselves in the foot when Nicolas Burdisso stupidly got himself sent-off for a second booking in the 50th minute. Worse was to come in the 64th minute when Fernando Torres scored the only goal of the game with a clinical turn and finish from just inside the box.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said: “I don’t think anyone will want to play us in the last eight. We’re lucky to have Fernando – he only needs one chance.”

Down to 10 men and needing to score four goals, Inter lost heart and was ready to head for the showers. Ibrahimovic felt his team was unlucky, saying: “We didn’t have any luck, like the first leg. We didn’t score, we kept pushing but nothing.”

If truth be told, the element of luck was slanted towards the Reds but Ibrahimovic was guilty of being profligate and not forming a close understanding with Cruz. Ill discipline is another reason for Inter’s downfall, they had apparently not learned the painful lesson of ceding numerical superiority to their opponent. Just as Marco Materazzi saw red in the first leg, Burdisso was sent off for a second yellow card. This scuppered any hopes of eliminating Liverpool.

Overall, Benitez came up with a tactically sound performance. The Torres-Gerrard partnership is yielding results and at this moment, Liverpool are unstoppable. There is improvement in the team, as is typical of the Reds at this stage of the season, some of the fringe players like Voronin and Lucas have a long way to go but are showing they are not entirely a waste of space.

Torres is turning out to be the best buy of the season with his lighting pace and clinical eye for goal. Mascherano is pulling his weight in midfield, breaking up the opponent’s attacks with ease and Gerrard, as a supporting forward, just behind Torres, provides the incisive thrust.

Kuyt, still very much a work-horse, contributed little in terms of forward play but his commitment cannot be faulted. Nevertheless, I believe, if another player comes in, offering a more dangerous goal threat, his position in the team is shaky.

Inter coach Roberto Mancini announced after the game that he would be leaving at the end of the season. I was disappointed that Mancini exhibited little tactical nous to change the game plan to provide more penetration, he was reduced to gesturing at the referee for Liverpool players to be carded. It is surprising how Inter remained untroubled domestically for so long, it must be that the quality of Serie A has deteriorated.

Rafa Benitez laughed off suggestions Inter may try to recruit him and said he was happy with his Liverpool team, who are fourth in the Premier League. He said: “We have a better squad than before. For me, the most important thing is that the team is winning in the Champions League every year. I would be really pleased to play the final, if it is against an English (team) then better.”

For the first time, four English clubs have reached the last eight of Europe’s premier competition – with Barcelona, AS Roma, Shalke 04 and Fenerbahce making up the numbers alongside Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea. Benitez said: “I think that shows the quality of the Premier League.”

It was also the second time in a week that an English club had won on the San Siro pitch, following Arsenal’s 2-0 success over AC Milan seven days earlier. Is this a strong testament that the Premier League is currently the best in Europe? I doubt so. Before the English teams blow their trumpet, it is worth a reminder that all four teams are conspicuously absent from the FA Cup.

You can call it what you want but for me, it is a disgrace that Big Four defeat their European counterparts handily but are unable to stamp their authority over the minnows domestically. Barnsley made Liverpool and Chelsea look ordinary, maybe we should give them a shot at the Champions League too.

This match was highly anticipated since Milan, already master of Europe from their Champions League glory, enjoyed a fruitful year as world champions by defeating Boca Juniors to lift the Club World Cup in Tokyo last week.

Their playmaker Kaka, was also crowned World Player of the Year by FIFA. On the other hand, Inter are unbeaten on the domestic front and enjoy a 22-point lead over Milan, though the latter has 3 matches in hand.

Despite their success, Inter formed a guard of honor to pay homage to their record-breaking rivals on the field. Inter coach Roberto Mancini did not feel it was humiliating, saying: “That wasn’t forced on us, it came naturally and I think it was deserved.”

Inter indicated their desire to trump their rivals with the first chance of the match after barely five minutes when Zlatan Ibrahimovic volleyed over the bar. They had greater possession and were applying steady pressure with many of their outfield players camped in Milan’s half of the pitch. Nevertheless, Milan’s fortress held firm as they adopted a sit and absorb strategy which made them extremely dangerous on the counter-attack.

Against the run of play, Filippo Inzaghi earned a free-kick on the edge of the box on 18 minutes after Ivan Cordoba dragged him down. Andrea Pirlo stepped up to curl in a wicked shot into the top corner.

That sparked Inter into action and the players pressed with greater urgency to break the duck. The equalizer nearly came two minutes later when Luis Jimenez shaved the bar with a shot from an impossible angle, courtesy of a cross from Argentine forward Julio Cruz.

Inter’s efforts were rewarded 10 minutes before the break in a moment of incisiveness as Ibrahimovic and Esteban Cambiasso passed the ball to Cruz, who did extremely well under pressure from Clarence Seedorf, by firing low past Brazilian goalkeeper Dida.

The second half again belonged largely to Inter as they dominated the proceedings. A seemingly innocuous shot from Cambiasso sent Dida the wrong way on 64 minutes to give the hosts the lead.

Towards the end, Milan roared back into life and stamped their authority on the match. They had more than enough chances to force a draw. Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar was fully stretched as he turned away Kaka’s diagonal drive. Emerson and Massimo Ambrosini then both missed gilt edged chances to equalize as anxiety crept into Inter’s game in the final moments.

The remarkable aspect of Inter’s victory was their indomitable spirit despite an injury plagued season, particularly in midfield. Already counting the loss of midfielders Dejan Stankovic, Patrick Vieira, Luis Figo, and Oliver Dacourt, they paid a heavy price when defender Walter Samuel suffered a ligament damage and could be out for the rest of the season. The consolation is Marco Materazzi’s return from injury which may alleviate the deficiency in midfield.

In fact, Inter was so depleted of resources that their starting 11 consist of nine South Americans and not a single Italian while Milan fielded seven Italian internationals. Ironically, this made them live up to their full name Internazionale.

Regardless of the players’ nationality, Inter showed enough championship form to mount a sustained challenge on Serie A. Once their injured players are back, their full strength is breathtaking in depth and quality and they can look forward to extending their lead at the top.

Indeed, Inter can take heart from their ability to consolidate their position as they opened up a seven-point lead from the pack. “It’s very important to reach the winter break with a seven-point lead on the second-placed team, particularly with all the problems we’ve had,” Mancini told Sky Sport television.

Ancelotti’s hopes of clawing back some points are dashed with this defeat and they are now 25 points behind Inter and in 12th position. But he remained upbeat since the final minutes of the game was very encouraging and the match could have swung his way if he had a bit more luck.

“We’re lacking a point in the standings because a draw would have been a fairer result,” he said. “But we’ll still have a good Christmas as we’re world champions.”

Inter are not getting carried away despite knocking the world champions off their perch. It is merely three points and not the finals yet. Inter captain Javier Zanetti hailed the victory but insisted hopes of Inter winning the title is premature.

“We are aware of our strengths but we have to show it in every match. Scudetto? It’s too soon. There are many matches to be played, it will be important continuing in this way,” Zanetti said.

Overall, this match is not the most exciting of football but it was never meant to be. For fans who are avid students of the Italian art of defense, they will appreciate the technical displays and tactics from two of the best teams in Serie A.

I struggled to watch the entire 90 minutes but I could have been too tired from all the pre-Christmas shopping. Still, I did tape the match, it is a classic, if I cannot glean anything from it, at least it will work wonders for those sleepless nights. Till tomorrow, guys.