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Just before the start of Sunday's Milan derby the lights at the packed San Siro stadium were dimmed and, to the delight of the Inter supporters, giant projections of their team were beamed on to the pitch.
It was an impressive display of technology that succeeded in firing up the 76,000 crowd but what followed was a harsh dose of reality for the long-suffering Inter supporters.
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A simple banner unveiled by Milan fans at the south end of the ground carried
the mocking slogan 'We realise your dreams'.
To emphasise the point a 30-metre image of the European Cup, won by Milan last season after they eliminated Inter in the semi-finals, was rolled back through the stands. Ticketmaster
In the 90 minutes that followed Milan showed why their fans have the confidence to brag so blatantly in front of their city rivals.
The 3-1 win, with goals from Filippo Inzaghi, Brazilian Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko, was a reminder of Milan's march through the Champions League last season to claim their sixth European Cup.
Organised, fluent and inspired at the crucial moments, Carlo Ancelotti's side were simply in a different class to Inter.
The taunts about Inter's dreams hurt because it is now over 14 years since their last Italian league title, and UEFA Cup wins in 1994 and 1998 hardly compensate.
The pain of this latest defeat was particularly acute because in the past two seasons under Argentine coach Hector Cuper, Inter have been making steady progress. Ticketmaster
A 3-0 win at Arsenal in the Champions League last month was heralded as the final proof that the former Valencia coach had finally put together a team to challenge Juventus and Milan.
FALSE DAWN
But once again Inter fans appear to have been taken in by another false dawn.
Since that night at Highbury, Inter have drawn two Serie A games against Sampdoria and Udinese and struggled to a laboured and barely deserved 2-1 win over Dynamo Kiev.
Then, when they slumped on Sunday in their first head-to-head clash with a title rival this season that saw them slip one place to sixth in the standings, it was a reminder of Cuper's poor record in big matches.
Inter may have finished in the top three in Serie A for the past two years but under Cuper they have never impressed against fellow members of the 'big five'.
One derby win and a victory over Roma are all Cuper has to show from 17 games against the top clubs. Nine defeats and six draws in those matches illustrate that Inter are still short of the quality needed to get their hands back on the 'scudetto'. Ticketmaster
What will have irked big-spending president Massimo Moratti most was the lack of fight shown by his players on Sunday.
Defeat in a derby is always hard to take, but Moratti stormed out of the stadium before the end of a game in which Inter simply rolled over in front of the Milan midfield.
There is no doubt that Cuper has quality players.
Christian Vieri is one of the world's most feared strikers, Fabio Cannavaro among the classiest defenders and close-season signings Argentine Kily Gonzalez and Dutchman Andy van der Meyde are class acts on the wings.
The question being asked now is whether Cuper is failing to get the most out of his squad and, once again, the former Valencia coach's job is on the line.
"I fight on,"
said Cuper after Sunday's game. If only his side had done the same.