In the end, this Milan derby draw left everyone happy. League leaders Inter can claim that they are now well and truly launched down the road leading to title success next May.
Neighbours AC Milan can likewise claim that they are a revitalised unit, one ready to leave far behind it the stuttering, unconvincing performances that have been its surprise hallmark for most of the last 18 months.
This was a game of no small significance and not just because it was watched by a worldwide TV audience that allegedly came close to two billion viewers. The 81,000 fans who paid out $2 million for the privilege of watching the action at the San Siro on Saturday night got value for money.
This might not have been the most open or entertaining soccer match of modern times but it was fascinating, fiercely contested stuff in which star names such as Inter's Brazilian Ronaldo and AC Milan's Liberian George Weah left very definite imprints. By the end of the night, the post match pronouncements of both coaches came as no surprise. Speaking of his Inter side, Gigi Simoni argued that the time had come for critics to abandon their henceforth lukewarm praise of his team, adding: "We've already come through some important tests, and this was another one. We're a good side with a style of play that hurts our opponents and a style of play that is not based exclusively on Ronaldo."
For his part, the returned prodigal son on the AC Milan bench, one Fabio Capello, sounded equally satisified: "(AC) Milan played a terrific game . . . this derby proves that Milan is a solid and determined side and one with a lot of character."
Given the pressures they have been under not just in the last week but since the season started nearly three months ago, then it is all too easy to understand why both coaches should be sounding satisfied. Simoni, in his first "big time" job at Inter, has kept his nerve, made the most of the undoubted lucky breaks that have gone his way and put together a disciplined team in which players like Francesco Moriero, Dutchman Aron Winter and Brazilian Ze Elias in midfield play the role of dutiful Horatios to Ronaldo's Hamlet.
And there's the rub. For all that Simoni might protest that his Inter team are not wholly dependent on Ronaldo, one can only point out that, without the Brazilian, they would amount to little more than disciplined troopers. Ronaldo's genius it was which paved the way for the opening goal of the game from Inter's Argentine Diego Simeone.
Collecting a ball just inside the halfway line, Ronaldo made one of those lightning fast little shimmies that is his hallmark. AC Milan captain for the night, Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta, was left on his backside as the Brazilian ace took off like a Williams-Renault, drawing both German Christian Ziege and Brazilian Andre Cruz before releasing a perfect pass to Moriero wide on the right.
Moriero wasted little time before delivering a simple square pass into the exposed Milan defence where Simeone had an ever easier task knocking home for a 13th minute goal. Simeone, drafted in for the suspended Frenchamn Youri Djorkaeff, had played his part well but the creative genius behind the action was all Ronaldo.
AC Milan's 23-year-old defender Giuseppe Cardoni, drafted in to replace injured captain Paolo Maldini, paid a heavy price being substituted soon afterwards by the Croat Zvonimir Boban. That switch around looked inspired Capello thinking for, within two minutes of taking the field, Boban had combined with Weah to set up the latter for a 29th minute equaliser that had been the fruit of concerted attacking pressure.
The rest of the match was a tale of two penalties, one for each side. Ronaldo converted from the spot in the 68th minute after he himself appeared to have been pulled down following a corner kick. Cruz equalised 10 minutes from time, again from the spot and after another controversial penalty awarded when Demetrio Albertini was seemingly tripped by Ze Elias.
A draw seemed a fair result. AC Milan had probably dominated the attacking play but Inter had created the more chances, often on the counter-attack.
Both coaches, for all that they might have expressed their satisfaction, may nonetheless have left the San Siro with nagging worries. For example, if Ronaldo were to miss a few games through injury, what would happen to Inter's multi-million dollar bid to finally emerge from under the shadow of a decade of dominance by their city rivals? The Dutch stiker Patrick Kluivert is undoubtedly a talented player, but is he the ideal partner for Weah, a player who remains fundamental to this AC Milan team?
Those are thoughts for another day. In the meantime, Inter are still top of the Serie A table, thanks to Parma's 2-2 draw with Juventus, while AC Milan can point with pride to the consideration that they are only the second side this season to take points off Inter (Lazio were the other).
One final thought - given that 15 non-Italians took the field, that the goals were scored by an Argentine, a Liberian and two Brazilians and that these two Italian superpowers comprise no less than 30 internationals from 14 different countries in their two coaches, for how much longer will we calling this a Milan derby?
AS Roma drew 2-2 with Italian Cup holders Vicenza in a thriller at the Olympic stadium.Pasquale Luiso needed only 50 seconds to head Vicenza in front, but Argentinian Abel Balbo nodded in an equaliser on the half hour and Brazilian Paolo Sergio made it 2-1 to Roma in the 43rd minute.There was still time for Gabriele Ambrosetti to equalise in first-half injury time.
