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The city of Milan can smell blood in its waters as two of its iconic teams, Inter Milan and AC Milan, lock horns at the San Siro for the 221st Derby della Madonnina this weekend.
Both teams hold a win each in the two derbies played so far this season as Inter drew first blood in this season's first derby before the Rossoneri exacted revenge later in the Coppa Italia.
It lacks the glitz and glamour of old but the Milan derby has produced several memorable moments in the past, graced by some really prolific goalscorers who light up the Lombardy capital with their scoring prowess.
Some of them even etched their names in the folklore by garnering many of them, and these are the players with the most number of goals in the Milan derby.
Here are the top five:
#5 Enrico Candiani (Inter Milan and AC Milan) - 10 goals
One of the first players in Milan's history to ply his trade for both sides, Enrico Candiani established himself as one of the best forwards during his first stint with Inter in 1937.
In his nine years with the Nerazzurri, the Italian may have lifted only two trophies - a Coppa Italia and Serie A - but struck 71 times in 187 appearances and also loved scoring against the city rivals.
He accrued seven goals in the derby while with Inter before swapping for Milan's red in 1949 where he couldn't emulate as much success and lasted only a season. But in that period, he scored three times against his former side to take his overall tally to 10.
Even after almost seven decades later, only a handful of players have managed to record such incredible figures in the Derby di Milano.
#4 Istvan Nyers (Inter Milan) - 11 goals
A perennial journeyman during his time, Nyers was up there amongst the likes of Ferenc Puskas and Laszlo Kubala; among the very best during the glorious Hungarian era of the 1940s and 50s.
Following several short stints in Hungary, Czech Republic and France at the beginning of his career, Nyers truly found his footing when he joined Inter in 1948 and in the six fantastic years there, accrued 133 goals in 188 appearances, 11 of which came against their neighbors as Inter persistently held the bragging rights in the city because of him.
"Stefano Nyers", as he was fondly called back in the day, was a ruthless predator who fed on defences like a predator, and AC Milan were one of those sorry victims of his.
#3 Gunnar Nordahl (AC Milan) - 11 goals
Just a year after Nyers joined Inter, the Diavolo responded by roping in a certain Swedish sensation Gunnar Nordahl, who would go on to become the most prolific in the history of AC Milan with 221 goals in all competitions, a record that lives on even after 62 years since departing the club. That's the kind of player we're talking about here.
Also considered one of the greatest forwards of all time, Nordahl was at his peak while his time in Milan and his rivalry with Nyers is well-documented. The duo often contested fiercely from the scoring front and grabbed most of the headlines whenever the sides met.
Co-incidentally, the rivals would end exactly on the same count of goals in the Milan derby with 11.
#2 Giuseppe Meazza (Inter Milan and AC Milan) - 13 goals
This man needs no introduction. Meazza is one of the few players to play for both sides yet remained one of the most beloved in both camps.
However, he predominantly represented Inter, where he truly made a mark with his buccaneering dribbles and exceptional shooting ability, while his trademark bending strikes earned the famous term, a foglia morta (dead leaf technique).
Meazza remains the club's most prolific when it comes to the strikes, with 284 of them. In fact, as you may know, he's honoured by the clubs which renamed its official home ground as the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza commonly called San Siro.
Meazza was just as prolific in the city derbies too, scoring 13 times in all. Twelve of them came in Inter colours. His short, forgetful time with the Rossoneri between 1940 and '42, got him a solitary goal against his former club.
#1 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) - 14 goals
The Ukrainian legend was an instrumental part of the stellar Milan squad of the early 21st century and widely touted to be one of the best to have worn the prestigious red and black stripes.
Of the many title-deciding kicks, his most memorable one for the club was arguably the winning penalty in Old Trafford that clinched AC Milan its fourth European cup in 2003 against Juventus.
However, he's popped up with similarly crucial strikes in the Milan derby when the teams once contested for the Scudetto and Inter Milan was one of his favourite victims with 14 goals against them in all competitions, the highest in the Milan derby.
Shevchenko normally saved his best for matches like these, thriving in the hostile atmosphere that used to build up whenever the sides met. His goal that knocked Inter Milan out in the semi-finals of 2003 Champions League aptly testifies to the same.
