Inter can feel the Champions League final in their future as two early goals saw them defeat their rivals Milan at the San Siro in the semifinal first leg on Tuesday. Eden Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were able to score early and in only 12 minutes the visitors were up two and fully able to control the remaining time. Without the injured Rafael Leao, Milan lacked an attacking threat and took only 13 shots for a total of 1.06 expected goals. Inter took advantage of the situation to move into a good position ahead of leg two. Milan manager Stefano Pioli will also have further worries as Ismael Bennacer left the match only 18 minutes in after picking up a knock. Milan will need everything that they can get to pull off a comeback.
Inter has now run their unbeaten streak to six consecutive games but more importantly, for the second leg, they've only allowed one goal in those six matches. On the bright side, Milan are expecting to have Rafael Leao back for that leg which could change the tie. Down two goals, this is a winnable match but it'll take quite an output from Leao.
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Calling Leao a big part of Milan's attack or even critical to it is probably underselling his importance to the team as Leao is Milan. Scoring 12 Serie A goals and assisting seven more, he has been critical to the team by creating chances and taking his own. His absence showed in the game as Milan struggled to put their chances away and create enough danger early on.
Inter allowed Milan to take shots but only putting two of 13 chances on target isn't good enough. If Leao can return for the second leg, that'll give the team a boost because all he needs is two chances to score two goals. Providing something for Inter to think about in defense, they can be prone to making mistakes and all it takes is a first-half goal to break things open in the second leg.
Milan will have to defend better but that's an area that they improved in as the match went on.
If a 2-0 halftime lead is supposed to be one of the most dangerous leads in sports, what does that make a 2-0 aggregate lead? Inter are in a weird spot where they can play conservatively in the second leg but they'll have to attack. If Leao makes the match, Milan will be much more dangerous, especially if Inter end up sitting back in defense. By doing that, it invites pressure and between Leao, Theo Hernandez and Sandro Tonali, Milan can score when they want to.
Even when they've been dropping points recently, the issues have been defensive ones, not issues with the attack. It could make sense for Marcelo Brozovic to come into the lineup as a more defensive option to slow Milan down but with how Inter have attacked as of late, they should keep doing it. Changing what you do well can create more issues than it resolves especially in a derby match when the teams will be playing each other for the fourth time this season. They know each other's strengths and weaknesses so no need to overcomplicate things.
Inter are in control, and Milan need a performance of a lifetime.
They've been in good form lately but now the team has one foot in Istanbul behind Dzeko and Mkhitaryan. Milan were in a tough spot without Leao but this is now one of the more important Milan derbys in their history. They have everything to play for in the second leg where Milan will now be the "home" team at the San Siro.
Pobegba and Pierre Kalulu have both entered the match for fresh legs. Inter are fine sitting back now but they can't allow a goal and regret this.
Mike Maignan has been extra busty and Inter aren't letting up in the match. Can Milan get one before the clock strikes 90?
Milan are asking questions as Sandro Tonali rattled the post. They weren't able to make anything happen from the corner that followed but they are asking questions.
It's time for Milan to go for it with Divock Origi and Malick Thiaw coming into the match. These changes will help up the tempo in a match that certainly needs it.
Dzeko forced Maignan into a big save but Milan hasn't been able to capitalize. Despite improving, Inter are creating the better chances of the two teams.
Milan will run it back with the same team and they have an early set play, this is a chance to make something happen.
Injuries, goals allowed, and getting overrun in midfield have been the things that have defined the match for Milan while Inter couldn't have played better. A 2-0 lead can be one of the most dangerous leads in soccer but if Inter grabs a quick goal in the second half, it could give them the ability to rest with one foot in the Champions League final.
It's hard to play worse after giving up two goals early but the team has pushed forward in the match. If Milan can make one of these set plays count, it could get interesting.
AC Milan will need to get things figured out here. No penalty has been given but AC Milan has only taken one shot in the match. Even if they don't score in the match, they can't make this unwinnable in the second leg.
This could get ugly if Inter Milan gets a third goal.
Ismael Bennacer has been withdrawn from the match after picking up a knock and Ismael Bennacer has come off the bench. From bad to worse in these first 20 minutes of the match.
This time it's Henrikh Mkhitaryan as Inter looks ready to run the score up.
AC Milan were already underdogs in the match but this will make things even harder to come back. A brutal start.
Inter are off and running with an early goal form Dzekofollowin an excellent set piece. What a finish!
AC Milan: This season, the Rossoneri picked up ten points in Group E to finish three behind Chelsea – who beat them 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and 2-0 at San Siro – clinching second place thanks to 4-0 victories in each of their last two games, at Dinamo Zagreb and at home to Salzburg. Those wins equaled the club's biggest margins of victory in the UEFA Champions League. They then edged past Tottenham in the round of 16, Brahim Díaz's seventh-minute strike in the first leg at San Siro proving to be the only goal of the tie. AC Milan then squeezed past Napoli in the quarterfinals, winning 1-0 in the home first leg thanks to Ismael Bennacer's 40th-minute strike. Olivier Giroud extended the aggregate advantage two minutes before halftime in the Naples second leg, Milan holding on despite conceding an equalizer on the night in added time.
Inter: This season Inter's Group C campaign started and finished with 2-0 defeats against Bayern Munchen, but they remained unbeaten in between those losses, collecting ten points including a decisive four against Barcelona and wrapping up progress with a 4-0 success at home to Viktoria Plzen on Matchday 5. The Nerazzurri then edged past Porto in the round of 16, winning 1-0 in Milan before holding out for a goalless draw in Portugal, and they overcame another Portuguese side in the last eight, a 2-0 first-leg win at Benfica preceding a 3-3 draw in Milan in which Inter led 3-1 until the 86th minute.
Despite the tension for Wednesday's Derby della Madonnina Champions League semifinal, AC Milan fans can now finally celebrate the long awaited contract extension of key player Rafael Leao. The Portuguese striker's camp has finally agreed a new deal with the Italian club until 2028, as La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Wednesday.
As expected, Leao will miss the match giving Inter Milan a chance to push the pace early before the "return" leg.
Milan XI: Maignan; Calabria (c), Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez; Krunic, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Bennacer, Diaz; Giroud.
Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella, Dimarco; Dzeko, Martinez (c).
Francesco Porzio ranked the most memorable matches between the two and number 10 is below:
February 21, 2004: AC Milan 3, Inter 2
One of the most incredible comebacks in the history of the Derby della Madonnina. AC Milan were coming from winning the Champions League semifinals the season before against the Nerazzurri and that year were about to win the Scudetto. Inter went 2-0 up in the first half with the goals scored by Dejan Stankovic (directly from a corner kick) and Cristiano Zanetti. However, AC Milan overturned the result in the second half and scored three goals with Jon Dahl Tomasson, Kaka and the deciding goal of former Inter midfielder Clarence Seedorf.
It's derby day in the Champions League and it doesn't get much better than this. Both Milan's meet at the San Siro for leg one of what will determine half of the Champions League final. The stakes are high, the vibes are immaculate and we have soccer to play so I'll be here to walk you through it.
