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Extended Clip - Champions League Semi-Final Preview: AC Milan vs Inter Milan - Who Are The Favorites?
1.3k Plays3 years ago
After AC Milan see off Napoli and Inter Milan go past Benfica to set up a Milan derby Champions League semifinal for the first time since 2003, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese analyze and debate who the favorites are going into the Milan Euro Derby.
This is a clip from the weekly Thursday episode of the Italian Football Podcast.
To listen to this & all other full episodes of The Italian Football Podcast, go to Patreon.com/TIFP to become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
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Transcript
Historic Significance of Milan vs. Inter
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Let's preview then that this semi-final, the Champions League semi-final between Milan and Inter historic occasion is going to be.
Italian Teams' Legacy in Europe
00:00:16
Speaker
And as I said at the start of the show, I have to pinch myself because I just I just I never thought this would ever happen ever again. And you know, this is this is kind of what we grew up on. Italian teams dominating in Europe and
00:00:30
Speaker
Milan, Inter, all the Italian teams get into the latter stages of European competitions and all Italian semi-finals. I never thought we'd ever have an all Italian Champions League semi-final, let alone a Milan derby.
Psychological Challenges of the Euro Derby
00:00:41
Speaker
So, I mean, first of all, Nima, as a fan of one of these two teams, I mean, how special is it for the teams, for the city, that we've got a Milan versus Inter semi-final with the Champions League?
00:00:54
Speaker
Well, I think from a mental point of view, and I think like in terms of the players and teams themselves, given when Milan and Inter are in the league table, and if Juventus get their 15 points back, I think it's almost certain now that one of them will miss out on top four. There's no doubt, because Milan Euro Derby takes so much out of you psychologically, mentally,
00:01:18
Speaker
and also bike extension energy-wise, that I think it's a given that one of them will miss the Champions League or will miss the top four next season. And that the only chance to get to the top four to get to play to play Champions League football next season is to actually win the tournament for either one of them. And so that's that's that's that's how I see it just from that aspect.
Uniqueness of the Euro Derby
00:01:39
Speaker
But the Euro Darby is just unique. It's unlike anything else. No other city has this in this way. I mean, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have played in finals, of course, twice. That's the only thing you get close to. But Atletico Madrid, with all due respect, does not have the pedigree that England and Milan have. They don't have European titles. They don't have European Cup titles. They
00:02:04
Speaker
They're a good side and they have a great history, but they're nowhere near where Inter and Milan are in terms of European pedigree and international pedigree.
00:02:18
Speaker
It's an incredible occasion. The prestige online is unbelievable. In turn, of course, have revenge to demand on Milan, you know,
Inter's Quest for Revenge
00:02:29
Speaker
2003. Got lost the semifinal against by on away goals rule, playing at the same stadium and losing on away goals rule, which is so bizarre. Now, that's not going to happen because that doesn't exist anymore, thankfully.
00:02:41
Speaker
And then you've got, you know, then of course what happened in the quarterfinals is something we don't want to talk about because what happened that the scandalous scenes of Inter Milan, Inter's quarter are throwing flares at Dida and so on. It was not a very nice thing. But no, this is going to be an absolutely electric affair. And both of them, I think, deserve to be there. I mean, Milan have sewn off
00:03:03
Speaker
good teams. Inters was in the group of death and finished above Barcelona, who looked to become the champions of Spain, so there are no mugs. So no, they both deserve to be where they are.
Predicting Match Outcomes and Football's Fickle Nature
00:03:17
Speaker
And I asked, you know, going into what's going to happen. Look,
00:03:25
Speaker
Today, if you asked me today if the game was played in four or five days time, I'd say Milan are favourites because of how solid they look. But it's not being played today. It's being paid in three to three weeks and a lot can happen in that time. Football is fickle that way. Form is very decisive at this point of the stage. Yeah, look at Napoli. Look at how Napoli have changed in 20 days. Yeah.
00:03:47
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. So I think it's going to be very, very, very, very interesting. None of them, you know, they will hope no players are suspended for this tie. Hopefully no one's injured either, and they can both come to this game for strength.
Impact of Injuries on Inter
00:04:07
Speaker
And I want to build on that.
00:04:09
Speaker
Milan Scriniar. I think this is it. Now, obviously, we know, we've been asked to talk about this by our patrons as well. Milan Scriniar has a real injury. People who are going full on, you know, truth moments, Scriniar injury truthers can take a seat back, as now French media are reporting that PSG are considering pulling out of the deal altogether if he doesn't pass his medical. So there is an actual injury there of his back and it's not getting better.
00:04:38
Speaker
But it's key for Inter to have him back for at least one or two of these ties. Inter need him now. And if they can't, then this is really going to cost him an Inter, because then he'll be essentially injured for six months with an injury that no one knows what's going on.
00:04:54
Speaker
or they do, but they're not talking about it. So Millan Skinyar is key, because when he plays to the right of that back three, and Darmian can play on the right wing back, they know how to neutralize Liao and Theo Hernandez. Denzel Dumfries and Darmian
00:05:10
Speaker
God, you know, let's just say you might as well be playing with 10 men. So that's going to be key for Inter. And also, Inter, if we're perfectly honest, in these last few years, when in the actual Darby's, Inter have played better than Milan, but it doesn't matter.
Tactical Expectations for Milan vs. Inter
00:05:28
Speaker
Because Milan, if, as Inter have learned, when you don't kill Milan off, they will come back and they will hurt you.
00:05:35
Speaker
and you will be wondering how you lost a game, you dominated. So what I want to see from Simone Inzagi, I essentially want to see a very tactical battle. I want to see the Champions League final battle that Milana Juva played. I want it to be a battle of the minds rather than seeing one team bum rush and get hammered on the counter. So we'll see, but it's going to be really, really interesting.
00:06:03
Speaker
I love that. No, I think this and I think it's really hard to call I mean Darby's are always hard to call like even even we see it all the time Just just because one seems in better form than the other You know it never it never goes to the form off rarely goes to the form book these these these these Darby's we've seen it in Rome Darby's as well I mean, it's so hard to call and
00:06:25
Speaker
I mean, I agree with you. I think if the game was played tomorrow, I'd probably go with Milan because I think Milan are really well conditioned. They look really well conditioned physically at the moment, Milan do, and the defending so, so well as well. But, you know, every tie, every game is different, you know, tactically they're different, different styles, styles make fights, styles make football games. I mean, it's really, it's just, it's so, so hard to call. I mean, I think,
00:06:54
Speaker
You know, the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-3-2-1 of Milan versus the 3-5-2 of Inter, you know, how does that match up? Pioli versus Inzaghi, who's going to win the tactical battle out of those two? That's going to be fascinating. Who will win the midfield battle? I think that will be key, definitely.
00:07:11
Speaker
Will Milan play with a high or deep line against what is a slower forward line? I mean, therefore, the Inter's forward line is much slower than Napoli's. Now Milan played with a deep line against Napoli, more of a low block, and it was so successful when cutting out the space. Do they do the same against Inter, or do they play more attacking? Who's going to be the more attacking in this game? Who's going to take the initiative?
00:07:40
Speaker
in this because in the quarterfinals, you know, Benfica took the initiative in terms of possession territory more and certainly Napoli did against Milan. So, like, everything changes. It's going to be, yeah, it's going to be, it's really hard to call. I think it's definitely a 50-50 tie as we speak now, but we see how things are in three weeks.
00:08:03
Speaker
For sure. It's going to be amazing. It's going to be an amazing occasion. It's going to be an amazing atmosphere. I mean, the city is going to it's going to stop, isn't it, for those two days or even the days before that we know he's going to stop. Milan for six days will be completely gridlocked about with football, which is beautiful.