Less than a week on from their first-leg derby delight, Inter Milan aim to finish the job against city rivals AC Milan when the teams reconvene at San Siro on Tuesday.
Inter Milan vs AC Milan
UEFA Champions League
Wednesday 16 May
San Siro
Simone Inzaghi’s men have found their form, when it matters the most. Impressive wins against Roma and Lazio in Serie A in recent weeks have seen the Nerazzurri climb to 3rd spot in the Italian first division and are only outscored by Napoli from all top-flight clubs.
They put 4 past Sassuolo on the weekend to create further distance between them and fourth placed Roma. Further to this, they successfully navigated a tricky test with Juventus to book their spot in the Coppa Italia final later this month.
On the European front, the goals are flowing for the Nerazzurri. After scoring just 11 goals across their opening eight fixtures, they’ve netted 7 in their previous three. Whilst on loan forward Romelu Lukaku is yet to start for Inter in the UCL this season, it has been business as usual for heavy hitters Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko who have both registered more than 20 efforts each.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Andre Onana has recorded 7 clean sheets in the UCL this season – at least 2 more than any other goalkeeper in the tournament. With his opponents in this one blanking on back to back fixtures, I doubt Onana will be in for a busy night.
To Win Match
Inter Milan 6/5 | Draw 23/10 | AC Milan 23/10
The Rossoneri succumbed to relegation threatened Spezia on the weekend and are now four points off the Champions League spots in the Serie A. That defeat came after Inter put 2 past them without reply in the first leg of their semi-final clash, revealing a shocking lack of depth in attack.
Enter Rafael Leao. The return of the dangerman will boost their chances of finding the back of the net and could go a long way as they look to overturn the first leg result. Leao missed Milan’s previous 2 fixtures (wherein they blanked) but appears to have shaken off a minor muscular problem and could go straight into the starting line up.
The defensive solidity that Milan have shown this season has been clear to see. They’ve recorded five shutouts from their previous seven tournament appearances and will need to be at their very best, if they’re to stage a comeback of note.
AC Milan have not had much success over Inter in recent history. Indeed, they have blanked on 5 of the previous 6 meetings when squaring off with Inter, across all competitions.
Rafael Leão back in training ahead of AC Milan's 2nd leg of the Champions League semi-final! ✅ pic.twitter.com/I0cJKIUa0R
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 15, 2023
Verdict: Inter Milan – 6/5
The San Siro offers up one final Derby della Madonnina before demolition begins and what better motivation than a spot in the Champions League final to play for. AC Milan are up against the wall, as they enter this fixture 2 goal deficit.
Inter Milan enter the San Siro on the back of 7 straight wins across all competitions, scoring 2 or more goals in 6 of those. With that sort of attacking output, it’s hard not to back them tonight.
