Derby date with an added twist gives bitter Milan rivalry that extra bite

ITALIAN SERIE A:Tomorrow is "Judgment Day" in Serie A as Milan rivals look to scupper each other's celebrations at a crucial stage of the season, writes Paddy Agnew

THEY HAVE been calling it "Derby Judgment Day". In a season when Milan's two powerhouse clubs, AC Milan and Inter Milan, have been reduced to the unaccustomed role of Champions League spectators, tomorrow's second derby of the season has taken on the connotations of quiet desperation.

Adding no small amount of spice to the traditional rivalry that underlines a Milan derby is the tantalising consideration that both teams could conceivably do some very serious damage to the other. Put simply, league leaders Inter need a win to wrap up the Serie A title, whilst fifth-placed AC Milan desperately need a win to keep alive their chances of overhauling Fiorentina to claim a Champions League qualification with a fourth-place finish.

For Inter, the mathematics are very comforting. With three games to play, they are six points clear of second-placed AS Roma. Even if Roma win all three final games, Inter can still afford to lose twice and still win the title.

Once upon a time, if two Serie A sides finished on level points, the title would go down to a two-leg play-off. Nowadays, the head-to-head between the two tied teams is what counts and on this score Inter are in front, having beaten Roma 4-1 in Rome and drawn with them 1-1 at home. So then, what's the fuss?

Well, as Inter have discovered in the wake of that psychologically shattering Champions League elimination by Liverpool, there's many a slip between cup and lip.

Having "won" the last two Serie A titles (the first one was taken from Juventus and awarded to them in the wake of the "Calciopoli" match-fixing scandal) Inter were desperately keen this season to do well in Europe, proving themselves true champions and just as good as their city rivals who, of course, just happen to have picked up no less than seven Champions League/European Cup trophies.

Liverpool put an end to that sort of dreaming and it proved a bitter blow. In the immediate aftermath of the elimination, deeply disappointed coach Roberto Mancini resigned. Within 48 hours he had withdrawn his resignation but he had still made his point.

Arguably worse for Inter was a sharp loss of form. In the 10 days after being eliminated by Liverpool, the league leaders dropped seven points in 1-1 draws with Genoa and Lazio and in a painful 2-1 home defeat by Juventus.

This reduced their lead to just four points but, fortunately for Inter, rivals Roma, perhaps distracted by that Champions League quarter-final tie with Manchester United, dropped vital points in unexpected draws with relegation battlers Cagliari and Livorno.

Given that Inter's last two games of the season are at home to Siena and away to Parma - two bottom-of-table sides - things look good for them. The title seems to be theirs for the taking . . . Yet, what a lot of pleasure Milan would take if they could put a major spanner in the Inter works by beating them and further irritating their already raw nerves.

For AC Milan themselves, the mathematics are not nearly so comfortable. They currently trail fourth-placed Fiorentina by two points and, to be sure of that Champions League place, they need to win not only tomorrow but also on their final two outings, against Napoli and Udinese.

Here again, though, what a lot of pleasure it would give Inter to defeat AC Milan, in the process winning the title and putting their rivals out of the Champions League.

All week long, both clubs have been trying to play down the needle and the tension. Inter owner, petrol millionaire Massimo Moratti has said that he does not mind when or how Inter win the title, in a derby or another game, just as long as they win it.

Furthermore, he has tried (and failed) to kill off consistent speculation that, win or lose, Roberto Mancini will be on his way this summer to be replaced by ex-Chelsea manager JoseMourinho.

Just in case Moratti was not worried, Milan's veteran striker Pippo Inzaghi thought to stir it up for him and ensure a few sleepless nights when saying: "Milan will do it, we'll win the derby and our last two games and we'll be in the Champions League next season."

Like everyone else, Inzaghi knows only too well just what a rivalry underpins this game. Lest we were not aware of that, events last May served to make the point. AC Milan, fresh from their Champions League triumph over Liverpool in Athens, were out on an open-top bus in downtown Milan, celebrating with their fans.

Midfielder Massimo Ambrosini picked up a banner that was handed to him by a passing Milan fan. Ambrosini was not aware of it at the time but the banner contained a less than flattering message for the city rivals: "The League title, you can stick it up your ass."

The incident prompted a flurry of intense diplomatic activity. AC Milan not only moved quickly to have the offensive banner removed from the victory procession but also to issue an apology to Massimo Moratti.

Furthermore, in an attempt to play down city rivalry, AC Milan's flamboyant owner, Prime minister-in-waiting Silvio Berlusconi, even suggested to Moratti that the two clubs should play a "European Derby" for charity. The incident might seem silly but it serves to make a point. This is one sporting rivalry that remains intense. Derby Judgment Day is upon us.