AC Milan Win Italian League for the First Time in 11 Years as City Rivals Inter Finish Second

By Derrick Bangura

AC Milan has won the 2021-22 Serie A title, with arch-rivals Inter finishing second after a dramatic final day.

Milan needed to win at Sassuolo to secure a first Scudetto since 2011, and they showed no nerves as they raced into a 3-0 lead after only 36 minutes.

Stefano Pioli’s men coasted to victory to earn their first title for 11 years, rendering Inter’s own 3-0 victory, at home to Sampdoria, ultimately irrelevant.

Milan cruise to the title on the final day
What could have been a nervous Sunday turned into a walk in the park for Milan, as Olivier Giroud scored twice before Franck Kessie put the result beyond doubt before half-time.

Milan was given minimal trouble by Sassuolo as they secured the three points they required, while Inter were left just behind despite a convincing win of their own.

Ivan Perisic opened the scoring just after the interval before a Joaquin Correa doubles put Inter three up in the space of eight second-half minutes, however, they have to settle for second.

Milan end more than a decade of hurt
It has been a tough 11 years since Milan last won the title, with the club suffering a financial crisis off the pitch and a fall from grace on it.

They fell into mid-table, finishing as low as 10th in the 2014-15 season, and were absent from European competition for some seasons.

However, they have been returning to their former strength under Pioli, playing in the Champions League for the first time since 2013-14 in this campaign, and have now earned a 19th Serie A crown.

They have been helped back to the top by a mix of youth and experience, with exciting talents like Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori and Sandro Tonali paired with seasoned campaigners such as Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.