AC Milan takes on city rivals Inter in the first of the two special Derby di Milano at the Champions League this time in the semifinal stage.
MIL vs INT Match Details
Date: Wednesday, 10 May 2023 / Thursday, 11 May 2023
Time: 20:00 (BST) / 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
MIL vs INT Match Preview
The 2-0 win over second-placed Lazio allowed AC Milan to go ahead in the top-four race before being overtaken again by Inter to the fourth spot with the same margin of victory against AS Roma later in the day. In the breath-taking race for Champions League football in Serie A with as many as six clubs involved including the two from the Italian capital, the Nerazzurri kept a two-point lead above their city rivals in fifth. It makes the semifinal meeting between them in the Champions League that more interesting. One of them has the chance now to enter the final and eventually win it to stay in the competition for another season. Stefano Pioli and his side are certainly dreaming about the incredible achievement after finding their winning way again. They shut out Tottenham Hotspurs in the last-16 stage and then eliminated recently crowned Scudetto winner Napoli from the quarterfinals to reach this stage in Europe for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Milan have to thank their star goalkeeper Mike Maignan for that after he saved a late spot-kick from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to help his side progress 2-1 on aggregate. Rafael Leao also deserves huge credit for his mazy run that shattered Napoli’s defence to set Olivier Giroud for the opener. However, the 23-year-old is unsure about his availability after picking up an injury at the weekend. It beautifully sets up this meeting against their arch-rivals whom they have not lost in this derby in European history to make a place in the showpiece next month in Istanbul.
Also optimistic about their chances are Inter who, unlike the Rossoneri, are in a better run of form winning their last five of six unbeaten matches in all competitions. Simone Inzaghi’s men are confident enough to not start their key striker Lautaro Martinez in a crucial top-four Serie A clash with Jose Mourinho’s side for their domestic season. The decision was obvious keeping this massive game in mind as it is not often a side gets to play its rivals in the Champions League that too in the last round before the final. Lautaro scored after coming on and so did Romelu Lukaku maintaining the streak for Inter, have now scored 18 goals in that period and conceded just four. Like Maignan at the other end, Cameroon international Andre Onana will receive the plaudits for preventing a handful of goals for his side. His excellent showings against two Portuguese clubs, Benfica and Porto in the previous round were a key factor in Nerazzurri entering the last four of the Champions League after 20 long years. They took a heartbreaking defeat to AC Milan back then as the opposition prevailed through away goals with the tie locked at 1-1. Inter do not want a repeat of that night at San Siro as they seek their first victory in Europe in this encounter to take an early step to the final after triumphing over their rivals in Coppa Italia and the Super Cup earlier this season.
Recent Form (all competitions)
MIL: WDDWD
INT: WWWWW
Recent Form (Champions League)
MIL: DWDWW
INT: DWDWW
MIL vs INT Team News
Leao continues to train alone after withdrawing due to a muscular injury in only 11 minutes into the game against Lazio. The Portuguese international is a major doubt for the clash with Alexis Saelemaekers, who replaced him at the weekend, retaining his place on the left if the former is not passed fit in time. Tommaso Pobega and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are confirmed absentees due to injuries.
Inzaghi kept Inter’s star striker Lautaro Martinez out of the starting lineup in the top-four battle against Roma with this fixture in mind. The World Cup winner with Argentina will now partner once again firing Lukaku up front in the midweek. Robin Gosens and the departing Milan Skriniar are out through injuries but Danilo D'Ambrosio could return after overcoming a muscular problem.
MIL vs INT Predicted Lineups
MIL: Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Simon Kjaer, Theo Hernandez; Sandro Tonali, Rade Krunic; Brahim Diaz, Ismael Bennacer, Alexis Saelemaekers; Olivier Giroud
INT: Andre Onana; Mateo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, Hakan Calhanoglu, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Romelu Lukaku
MIL vs INT Head to Head
MIL won - 2
Draw - 2
INT won - 0
(In Champions League)
MIL vs INT Dream11 Team prediction
Team 1
GK: Maignan (7.5)
DEF: Acerbi (7.5), Tomori (8.5), T Hernandez (9)
MID: Calhanoglu (9), Barella (9), Bennacer (8.5), Dimarco (8.5)
FW: Lukaku (8), Giroud (9), Lautaro (9)
Vice-captain: Nicolo Barella
Captain: Lautaro Martinez
Team 2
GK: Onana (7.5)
DEF: Acerbi (7.5), Tomori (8.5), T Hernandez (9)
MID: Calhanoglu (9), Barella (9), Bennacer (8.5), Dimarco (8.5)
FW: Lukaku (8), Giroud (9), Lautaro (9)
Vice-captain: Olivier Giroud
Captain: Lautaro Martinez
