The Inter waste yet another chance, the Milan it shines for the Champions. The time to archive the championship with the Nerazzurri's draw in Genoa and it's already time for Europe, with the Rossoneri cousins engaged at the San Siro against Tottenham by Conte. Different competitions, God forbid, yet not so distant from each other, at least mentally: the 0-0 on the Sampdoria field, in fact, in addition to giving another two points of advantage to Naples (even +15 on the second), calls into question Inzaghi's second place, to the delight of Pioli, but also of Gasperini, Mourinho and Sarri, all engaged in the big-eared cup race.
Sampdoria - Inter 0-0, Inzaghi bitter: "We are disappointed, we had to win". Then Lukaku and Barella wand…
"There is disappointment because we wanted to win– explained the Inter coach at the end of the match -. We didn't underestimate the match, we played it in order, but with everything created and produced, the result had to be different. We weren't satisfied with the result, we found ourselves facing an organized team that ran a lot and closed the gaps, but we had to be better at finishing and in the last pass. The disappointment is for the missing three points that penalize us, I can't be happy, we should have already been ahead in the first half. The quarrel between Lukaku and Barella? They are things on the pitch that I absolutely don't want to see, but they are great friends and at the end of the match they were sitting next to each other on the bench, the situation immediately returned”.
Milan – Tottenham (21pm, Canale 5, Sky Sport and Now TV)
But now it's time for the Champions League, where Pioli's Milan, having found themselves (at least in terms of results) with the victory over Turin, is preparing to receive Conte's Tottenham, back instead from bad defeat of Leicester (5-1) which put the fourth place in the Premier at risk. Seen this way, it might seem like a balanced match between two teams full of problems, but the fact that Spurs play in a superior league, both from a technical and intensity point of view, nor that a week ago they beat Manchester City by Guardiola. In short, the purse remains favorable to Conte, especially as the qualification will be decided in London on March 8, but the Devil can and must at least try. The draw, moreover, could have gone much worse if you consider some of the other opponents, and Tottenham are not doing much better either in terms of injuries or morale. Of course, the story has turned upside down compared to fifteen years ago, when Milan would have presented themselves as the big favourites, with a strong roster of champions established both in Italy and in Europe: now instead it is the English who have the ball in the game, light of 139 appearances in the Champions League more than the Rossoneri (285 against 424).
Pioli raises the bar: "We're here to go through"
However, the gap does not scare Pioli, at least in words. In the usual press conference on the eve, in fact, the coach showed a combative face, determined to play it equal to try to enter the best eight in Europe. "We we believe we are up to Tottenham and getting through the round, winning the Champions League is a dream at the moment, but we're good at building special things, even if you have to get through the round first – his words -. We have to try to command the game with dribbling and trying to always be dangerous, they are a team with the rhythm and intensity typical of the English, but with Conte's tactical preparation. If we want to think we can win we have to propose a Milan at a high level of intensity, technique and choices, we did better against Torino after the goal, but Tottenham are of a high level and we will have to be attentive and intense. However, we are here because we have done many positive things in these three years, now we want to go further and try to pass this turn".
Conte doesn't trust him: "Let's face the Italian champions, it won't be easy"
“We face the Italian champions and we know how difficult it is to win Serie A, they were extraordinary, it will certainly be a difficult game between two teams that will try to outdo themselves – Conte thought -. Going back to San Siro causes great emotion, I spent two intense, beautiful years in which we managed to do something important with Inter. We have spoken to the younger ones, now is their moment and we must be able to help them, to overcome the emotion of the impact and to trust them. Let's hope we don't have any more injuries, otherwise the situation will get even more complicated. How am I? OK, but I'm not 100%. For me it was the first time to be away from my team for so long. Sure, I was once turned away for a while, watching the game from home. But staying there due to force majeure was very difficult”.
Milan – Tottenham, the formations: Tomori recovers, Bennacer can't make it
Compared to the last few weeks, Pioli recovers Tomori, one of the standard bearers of the Scudetto, but not Bennacer, still in the pits with a muscle problem. The Algerian's absence is a big problem, but if nothing else, the coach will have one more choice for defence, which is not indifferent given the choice to play with three. In fact, this evening too, just like with Inter and Turin, the Milan will abandon the usual 4-2-3-1 to rely on a 3-4-1-2 with Tatarusanu in goal, Kalulu, Kjaer and Tomori in defense, Calabria, Tonali, Krunic and Theo Hernandez in midfield, Diaz behind the offensive duo made up of Giroud and Leao. It is however that it has more staffing problems Tale, forced to give up Lloris, Bentancur (rupture of the crusader) and the disqualified Hojberg. His 3-4-3 he will see Forster in goal, Romero, Dier and Davies in the back, Emerson Royal, Skipp, Sarr and Perisic in the midfield, Son, Kane and Richarlison (ahead of Kulusevski) in attack.
