Inter Milan vs AC Milan Preview

At the Giuseppe Meazza on Tuesday night, AC Milan and Inter Milan will square off in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final matchup.

The team of Stefano Pioli completely collapsed, and they were fortunate to escape with just a two-goal defeat in the first leg. Given the number of scoring opportunities they had that evening, Inter was the superior team and ought to have ended the game.

With a combined total of ten championships, the Serie A heavyweights have a long history in the competition. The Nerazzurri won the title in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, making that one the most recent. The more qualified of the two Milan managers to repeat the trick today is Simone Inzaghi.

Since Rafael Leao’s injury, Milan has been lacking in bite and hasn’t shown much creativity in the attack. Their best chance of continuing their participation in the competition is to win the Champions League, as their quest for a top-four finish in Serie A is waning.

The timing of Inter’s form, however, seems perfect. Although the defense could put up a stronger fight, the attack is now starting to gel, giving Inzaghi a number of options to use as and when necessary. The top players for Inter were able to take the weekend off, so they should be more rested on game night.

Milan is facing a difficult task against improbable odds as they deal with injuries and a loss of form. Almost always, the game’s tempo will be determined by whoever scores first that evening. On and off the playing field that evening, emotions will be high. In what should be a legitimate fight between two bitter rivals, there is no chance of mercy.

With everything on the line, Milan is anticipated to give Inter everything they’ve got, and the game should get underway quickly. This should benefit Inter because the Nerazzurri can then attack their opponents on the break, ending the match. The Hard Tackle examines the potential lineups and strategies for each side of the game.

Inter Milan

The Nerazzurri have just found their form and appear imposing, especially when moving forward. When they enter the field in an effort to reach the first UEFA Champions League final since 2010. They shouldn’t be lacking in confidence.

After rotating his frontline over the weekend, Inzaghi is now anticipated to field his strongest lineup that evening. Inter will likely start with the same lineup that won the first leg, barring any last-minute injury concerns.

The hosts have consistently used a 3-5-2 formation under Inzaghi, and they are not currently expected to alter their strategy. The biggest absence for the Nerazzurri is Milan Skriniar, who is headed to PSG. Last week, Robin Gosens made his comeback from injury, giving Inzaghi’s roster even more depth.

Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni should form the back three, with Andre Onana starting in goal as the last line of defense. The impressive Federico Dimarco will start on the other flank, with Denzel Dumfries out wide on the right wing.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella should play further upfield while Hakan Calhanoglu should keep things steady in central midfield. Romelu Lukaku’s ability to score goals once again will help Inter and give the Nerazzurri more options in the attack.

Joaquin Correa should be content with a spot on the bench after suffering an injury over the weekend. The starting lineup is anticipated to include Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko. The pair dominated the first leg last week, and one can expect them to continue dominating on the night.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko

AC Milan

At the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, AC Milan’s quest for redemption is probably about to come to an abrupt end. Only one team has ever lost the UEFA Champions League after blowing a two-goal or greater lead from first leg.

Barcelona earned that questionable distinction in 2019 against Liverpool, and Milan will bet on a similar miracle to save them. Belgian striker Divock Origi will need to channel some of his clutch big-game performances to help Milan this time. On that particular night, Origi scored twice for the Reds.

Milan’s lackluster performance against Spezia the previous weekend raises additional concerns about their chances of winning Serie A. The seven-time champions’ chances of competing in the next season’s competition will depend on how well they perform over the course of Tuesday’s 90 minutes or more.

Milan must play despite several of their senior stars being injured, despite their lack of form being a concern. Rafael Leao is the team’s attacking catalyst, so Milan’s frontline suffers greatly when he is absent. Leao won’t be physically prepared to have an impact for the full 90 minutes even if he is declared fit for the game, which is far from certain.

This also applies to Junior Messias and Rade Krunic, who both missed the game against Spezia due to injury. Ismael Bennacer has a thigh injury and is currently out for the rest of the season. Alessandro Florenzi is another player dealing with a knock.

With only a change in personnel, Pioli is unlikely to depart from the 4-2-3-1 structure. Mike Maignan should start in goal with Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Simon Kjaer, and Theo Hernandez as the back four.

Starting with Alexis Saelemaekers on the other flank and Brahim Diaz on the left, respectively. Olivier Giroud, a seasoned striker, ought to replace Divock Origi in the starting lineup. The Frenchman must take charge and make a difference for his side. Milan would do well to take the game to their opponents and play bravely.

The visitors’ top priority should be scoring the opening goal of the game. By doing this, they should have a chance to turn the deficit around.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Hernandez; Tonali, Pobega; Diaz, Krunic, Saelemaekers; Giroud

Inter Milan vs AC Milan Preview