AC Milan vs Inter Milan
UEFA Champions League
1st leg
Semi-Final
Wednesday
10th May 2023
Giuseppe Meazza
After days of focusing on Naples, the spotlight of Italian football is slowly turning north towards Milan. The two clubs of the fashion metropolis will once again compete against each other in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Giroud about rematch World Cup final: “I don’t think it’s Olivier against Lautaro”
AC Milan and Internazionale face each other in the semi-finals of the billion dollar ball, the winner will face Real Madrid or Manchester City in the final. Olivier Giroud joined the press conference at the Milanello training complex a day before the game, where he was confronted with the fact that he will meet an acquaintance on Wednesday.
Lautaro Martínez, the Argentinian who faced Giroud France in the World Cup final, is in the lead at Inter. “Yes, that was also the case during the Super Cup, but this is nothing personal. It’s not Giroud against Lautaro, as I’ve read. We as Milan are united, we are a team. Let’s leave the past behind us,” said Giroud, who dragged that past back in the next sentence. “Of course it is an extra motivation.”
Few connoisseurs had attributed chances to the Rossoneri to win the Champions League, although the team boasts a great European record. Milan was the champion of Europe no less than seven times, most recently in 2007. Giroud would like to give the supporters an eighth cup.
“We are talking about a special club here. Last year I couldn’t wish for anything more than to win the national title. I am very proud of what we are doing with this team, with the coach and his staff. It would be deserved after our hard work, and reaching the final would make me very proud. I also think the fans deserve that,” the Frenchman concluded.
Inzaghi is more concerned about the heads than the hearts at Inter
Simone Inzaghi is very much looking forward to the clash with AC Milan, his eighth Derby della Madonnina as coach of Internazionale. The 47-year-old Italian hopes to maintain his positive balance in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Inzaghi lost two of his seven games against Milan as manager of Inter and won three. In the last two meetings, the Nerazzurri were too strong for the fellow townsman with 0-3 and 1-0. Does that also make Inter the favorite for the first game in the semi-finals on Wednesday evening? “Favourite or not, we all know what a derby is all about,” Inzaghi evaded that question during his press conference. “We’ve played seven now in the last 20 months and every game was unique.”
The key to success for Inter, according to Inzaghi, is to stay focused. His players must not get emotionally carried away and must be vigilant for Milan’s counterattacks, where the participation of star player Rafael Leão is still uncertain. “We have to play with our heads and with our hearts. I have no doubts about playing with passion. We have to be wise and calm with our heads,” said Inzaghi, who hinted that he would not take a lot of risks in the first game. “We have to be aware that this semi-final is about 180 minutes.”
Inter fueled confidence on their way to the semi-finals of the Champions League. The last five games were all won, including against Juventus, Lazio and AS Roma.
