The Euro-derby arrives, Milan stops. Milan and Inter are ready to battle for the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, scenario that takes us back by Exactly 20 years, when the Rossoneri and Nerazzurri met for the first time on an international level. At the time, the final in Manchester was up for grabs, which was then won by Milan in another "derby" with Juventus, this time instead the match for Istanbul on June 10th against Real Madrid or Manchester City, who faced each other yesterday in the first round of the Bernabeu (1-1, goals from Vinicius and De Bruyne). Tension at the highest levels, because if it is true that the stakes are so high as to generate dizziness, it is also true that losing against the rivals of all time would be a very hard blow to digest, inversely proportional to the joy of the winners.
Milan – Inter (at 21, Tv8 and Amazon Prime)
20 years have passed since the 2003 confrontation, but expectations and pressure have remained unchanged. Compared to then there is a big difference, daughter of the change of regulation wanted by UEFA in 2021: away goals, decisive in the challenge of the past (0-0 in the first leg, 1-1 in the return), are no longer worth double, which is why the balance, if possible, is even higher. On paper it does better Inter, as evidenced by the odds of the bookmakers who see it as the favorite for the passage of the round, while the Milan, in addition to being more discontinuous, he seriously risks having to play without Leao (we'll talk about him shortly), not just any one. However, the derby is always a game in itself and this (or rather these) even more so: it is not a question of rhetoric, but of a fact even more evident in a "crazy" competition such as the Champions League. In short, Inter are favourites, with the inevitable downside of having more to lose: Pioli risks nothing regardless, Inzaghi instead he is facing a real crossroads on his career in viale Liberazione. The three previous seasons have seen the Nerazzurri lead 2-1, thanks to victories in the Supercoppa final (18 January, 3-0) and in the return derby (5 February, 1-0), while the Rossoneri are stuck at 3- 2 of last September 3: that day Leao was the great protagonist with a brace, demonstrating how much he can move his presence or not.
Pioli: “Inter are favorites for the others, not for us. Leao? She will have a decisive audition ”
“It's difficult because it's a semi-final of the Champions League, but it's also beautiful to prepare for, experience and play – explained Pioli in the press conference -. I tried to convey concentration and determination, but also the happiness of experiencing moments like these, even if obviously we will need to give our all, always considering that the game is played over 180 minutes. Inter favorite? The others say it, we eliminated Tottenham and Napoli, we can eliminate anyone. We haven't had ups and downs in the Champions League, but we've had an exceptional journey. We want a final that none of us have ever done, ambitions and motivations are at their best. He could also start, or he's able to play or he won't even be on the bench. It will depend from tomorrow (today for the reader, ed) the type of work he will do, for the quality and characteristics of the player he must be 100%. Let's see, everything is still open ”.
Inzaghi: “We want the final, but losing wouldn't be a failure. Leao? He will not condition us”
“We know it's a semi-final of the Champions League, the derby par excellence – replied Inzaghi -. Head and heart will be needed, but for whoever loses it won't be a failure. In these twenty months we have faced seven derbies winning and losing, they are matches that can give us ideas, but each one is different. There will be moments in which Inter will be more offensive and others in which they will be more defensive, we will all have to stay together, make a huge sacrifice and make an extra run for our teammate. We don't hide, we know the importance of the match and we want to play it with heart and head knowing that it would be a huge step to take with determination, running and aggression. Leao? We know that there may or may not be, but I'm not certain: if we'll take precautions, it won't condition our match plan. We are 180 minutes away from the dream, there must be no fear, just the desire to play”.
Milan – Inter, the formations: the decision is made for Leao this morning, Dzeko favorite over Lukaku
At Milan everything revolves around Lion: if the Portuguese, who stopped on Saturday for a muscle elongation in his adductor, were to make a sensational recovery he would play, vice versa he would not even be on the bench, targeting next Tuesday's second leg. Impossible to have absolute certainties, also because the decisive audition will only take place this morning, but at the moment the most probable scenario is the second, therefore a Milan without its best player: stretching is the antechamber of stretching, therefore playing on it, for as much as possible, it is extremely risky. Pioli knows this well and will put common sense first, unless today's audition gives a resoundingly positive response. For the rest no doubt, in a 4-2-3-1 which will see Maignan in goal, Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori and Theo Hernandez in defense, Krunic and Tonali in midfield, Diaz, Bennacer and Saelemaekers (or Leao) behind the lone striker Giroud. More ballots instead at Inter, where Inzaghi is grappling with the "problem" of abundance: inverted commas are mandatory, given that being able to choose is certainly better than the other way around, but also a further examination for the coach, called upon to make the choices right. The doubts concern midfield (three for two between Calhanoglu, Brozovic and Mkhitaryan) and attack (Dzeko or Lukaku) and will only be resolved today, even if the 3-5-2 more likely he sees Onana between the posts, Darmian, Acerbi and Bastoni in the back, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan and Dimarco in the midfield, Dzeko and Lautaro in attack.
