UEFA Champions League semifinals, AC Milan takes on Inter Milan in a historic derby.
In the UEFA Champions League semifinals, the historic Madonnina derby between AC Milan and Inter Milan will once again happen. The last time this game was played late in the competition, Milan went on to win the title that year.
In the league and the Supercoppa, Simone Inzaghi defeated Stefano Pioli twice in 2023. Both of these defeats occurred when Milan fell apart in February. Milan won its first match in the league in late 2022, but in a knockout setting, it’s a completely different story.
Rafael Leao will be the main selection question. He suffered a pull in the team’s previous match against Lazio and has spent the entire week in individualized training. The Portuguese winger is Milan’s main offensive weapon. Losing him will be a major setback for the team moving forward.
Saelemaekers steps in for him as a result, Bennacer advances up the field, and Krunic anchors the midfield alongside Tonali.
As we’ve seen in the last four Champions League games, it will take excellent teamwork, says Milan coach Stefano Pioli. You must work extraordinarily hard to achieve an exceptional result, and we’ll try to do that. In particular, I hope I was able to convey to the players the joy and enthusiasm we must have as we get ready for the game.
We arrive at the first leg in good spirits, according to Inter coach Simone Inzaghi. We must use both our hearts and minds. Although I have no doubts about our hearts, we will need to use reason because there will inevitably be roadblocks. We must keep in mind that the race will last 180 minutes.
