Key events
In Inter’s 3-5-2 system, the most important players are their wing backs, Dumfries and Di Marco. Too far forward, and the three centre backs can become easily exposed. Too far back, and Martinez and Dzeko will become too exposed. Neither forward is blessed with pace, but can be deadly when crosses come into the box. Dumfries and Di Marco will help supply the ammunition to put this tie to bed.
An email!
“The last two World Cups have been the poorer for the absence of Italy,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Say what you want about the dark arts, their defensive tendencies (though Euro 2020 surely dispelled that to the hysteria books once and for all), and the pasta doubts of Alex Ferguson, but this year’s CL Final will have a richer narrative because of the men from Milan. Every panto needs a villain.”
Italian football is a fickle thing. Much maligned, much romanticised. But these are the facts. The national team are European champions, and all three European competitions (Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League) could all yet be won by an Italian side.
I’ve got a funny feeling about Milan tonight. They are down but not out.
It’s 20 years since Milan and Inter last went toe-to-toe in the semi-finals of the Champions League. In this piece by Emmet Gates, Andriy Shevchenko remembers the goal that set Milan on their way to the final (and eventual glory at Old Trafford).
The players are out for their warm-up. The atmosphere is so deafening, I can’t hear what BT Sport’s James Horncastle is saying.
The teams
Inter (3-5-2): Onana, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Martinez, Dzeko.
Subs: Handanovic, Gagliardini, De Vrij, Gosens, Correa, Bellanova,
Asllani, Cordaz, D’Ambrosio, Stankovic, Brozovic, Lukaku.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan, Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez, Krunic, Tonali, Messias, Diaz, Leao, Giroud.
Subs: Ballo-Toure, Rebic, Kalulu Kyatengwa, Kjaer, Florenzi, Origi, Pobega, Gabbia, Saelemaekers, Mirante, De Ketelaere, Nava.
Referee: Clement Turpin (France)
One Milan player that will not feature this evening is Ismaël Bennacer, who went off injured in the first leg. The Algerian has been at the heart of everything Milan have done well this season, particularly after his move up the pitch into the No 10 role. The club released a statement on his injury progress earlier today.
AC Milan announces that Ismaël Bennacer underwent surgery on his right knee in Lyon this morning. The repair of the cartilage lesion was successfully performed by Dr. Bertrand Sonnery Cottet in the presence of AC Milan’s club doctor, Dr. Stefano Mazzoni. The recovery time is estimated to be at least six months.
On his Instagram, Bennacer posted:
Hello everyone! My knee surgery went very well. The road to recovery starts today, It will be long, difficult, and will keep me away from the field for several months. But I am ready to overcome this ordeal with courage and determination. I will work hard, fight every day, to come back stronger and be again able to defend the colours of my club and my country. Thank you all for your messages and the strength you are giving me to get through all of this. I will keep you updated on each step of my recovery.
Inter are overwhelming favourites to reach the finals after their 2-0 win in the first leg. Milan were toothless without the injured Rafael Leão, their star player who watched on from the sidelines. But the Portuguese is back tonight, and any chance of a comeback for the ‘away’ side tonight rests squarely on his shoulders. Leão led Milan to the Scudetto last season. This campaign, he has missed three games, two due to suspension and one due to injury: Milan have lost all three. Leão’s assist to set up Olivier Giroud in the quarter-final against Napoli was one of the finest this season.
Not only is he a matchwinner in his own right, but his ability to draw defenders opens up more space for Milan’s other attacking threats: Giroud and Brahim Díaz in particular. Leão’s importance cannot be overstated.
Preamble
This is no ordinary football match. Normally, a Champions League semi-final would demand enough attention. For Internazionale and Milan, this is not just about reaching the final. Whoever is victorious will celebrate the other’s demise as much as their own triumph. This is not just about tonight. This is about history. This is (also) about the future.
The history. Milan is the only city in Europe to have two Champions League winners within their walls, with Internazionale and Milan sharing 10 European Cups between them. Ten! But 13 years have passed since either scaled the mountain. The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza is a unique stadium steeped in legacy, hosting four European Cup finals. Last week it pulsed with ferocity, and one wondered why anyone ever came up with idea of tearing the San Siro down. This week, it’s Inter’s turn to be the ‘home’ side, and they bring a 2-0 lead into the second leg, courtesy of goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The future. For Milan, this game has another facet. Their surprise 2-0 defeat to Spezia at the weekend means they now sit four points afrift of fourth-placed Lazio with three games remaining, meaning they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season. Apart from the obvious glory of adding an eighth title, winning the competition would also ensure they qualify for 2023-24, providing a vital boost to the depleted coffers.
So, quite a lot to get excited about, then. This is no ordinary football match.
Kick-off: 8pm BST, 9pm in Milan.
