Coppa Italia, Inter-Milan: who gets better at the derby?

Inter and Milan, you again. Fourth direct match of the season between the Nerazzurri and the Rossoneri, this time at stake is a place in the final of the Italian Cup (0-0 in the first leg). But how do the two teams arrive at the big match on Tuesday night at the Meazza? Voice by voice, we have compared them.

Physical condition

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Inter – From this point of view, Inzaghi can think about the cup match without too many worries. The three consecutive successes put on the farm after the break were accompanied by constantly growing performances and Inzaghi got positive responses both from the owners and from those who took over from the game in progress. Except for the slight annoyances accused by De Vrij (however already recovered) and Bastoni (apparently only cramps), the team is healthy and is gradually recovering the polish of a few months ago. In the last two weeks there have also been encouraging signs from those who had struggled and short of breath to arrive at the stop, from Barella and Calhanoglu to Lautaro. The coach can count on an overflowing Perisic, but will also have an even fresher and more hungry Gosens after his missed starting debut against Spezia.

Milan – The emergency at the Rossoneri seemed over. Instead the injuries have returned to annoy Stefano Pioli, messing up his plans even at the last moment. If in the case of Calabria against Genoa it was only a stomach discomfort, for Romagnoli and Florenzi there were more serious problems, such as to knock them out for several weeks. Bennacer and Rebic had muscle problems that prevented them from being called up for the match with Turin, but now they are fine, with Genoa they have had space. Of course, Ibrahimovic is missing and it is a heavy absence. But the others are almost all available. Maybe Giroud would need to catch his breath after so many consecutive games in the middle of the attack. But obviously the derby will not be the match in which he will sit on the bench.

Mental condition

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Inter – There is probably no better time for the Nerazzurri to play the derby. Before the break for the national teams, Inzaghi’s team scored with difficulty and often ended in stalemate, with ghosts taking possession of the heads of some players at the first unlucky actions and or at the first goal conceded. Now, with an Italian derby won behind us, everything seems easier, as we saw against Verona and Spezia. Inter are serene and their minds are free from anxiety, the pressure becomes energy and not frenzy. The match against Milan is, however, part of a separate category: mental solidity will be essential until the triple whistle.

Milan – Getting back to winning the three points in the league was fundamental, after two 0-0 points against Bologna and Toro that had darkened the Rossoneri environment. That the Devil knows how to react in the less brilliant moments is now a fact, as well as one of the best characteristics of this team. And so Milan is there, even from a mental point of view. He doesn’t get depressed, he doesn’t even get depressed when he wastes precious escape opportunities in the league. It remains to be understood how the impact of the possible change of ownership will be absorbed, an eventuality that seems increasingly concrete and close: protecting the group will be the task of Pioli and also of director Maldini.

Infirmary

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Inter – By making the necessary precautions, there is no problem related to various ailments. All skilled and enlisted for Inzaghi, even if there is a very slight reserve regarding Batons. The Casalmaggiore center left the field a few minutes early against Spezia for what seemed to be simple cramps, but rightly the coach prefers to wait for confirmation from the medical staff. De Vrij had already left the infirmary on the eve of the trip to Liguria and, barring sensational surprises, he will regain his place in the center of defense in the derby.

Milan – Simon Kjaer’s beard grows: it will be like this until the Dane returns to the field, leaving behind the inactivity that the knockout knee forced him to in the second half of the season. In addition to him, Florenzi (meniscus), Romagnoli (adductor) and Ibrahimovic, who must stop often due to overloads in his left knee, remain among the unavailable. The situation in Gabbia should also be monitored: the central player came out prematurely against Genoa, also due to a muscle problem whose extent must be understood.

The man to bet on

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Inter – The feeling is that Inzaghi has several arrows in his bow, starting with the usual Brozovic in the control room (fresh from his first season seal in the league) and a Lautaro Martinez relaunched in the goal zone. In reality, the Nerazzurri can count on the newfound flair of the offensive department, with three out of four forwards to sign in the last two outings, and on the incisiveness of a midfield that has scored all its interpreters after the break. But the main ace up Inzaghi’s sleeve, nowadays, remains Perisic, the one who has made the difference since the beginning of the season with extraordinary regularity. His tears, his associative capacity, the constant push and the reliability in the coverage phase are the reasons why Inzaghi in the end decides never to give them up, even at the cost of squeezing it. But the Croatian seems to recharge himself by playing, so much so that he is also the most brilliant in the challenge, the last against Spezia, which in theory should have jumped to catch his breath. Three assists in the last three outings give the dimension of what affects Inzaghi’s mechanisms, who could bet on him even by inserting Gosens from the beginning.

Milan – Rafael Leao remains the man who turns on the light in Milan. Even within a non-sparkling period and even if for large sections of the games he does not do much. Having to bet on a name in such a delicate match, however, it is difficult not to call Giroud’s home. Olivier is not always involved in the Rossoneri’s offensive plots, but he is the man of heavy goals. And Inter knows it well: if the Frenchman hadn’t scored twice in the last derby of the championship, the Nerazzurri would probably have flown towards the Scudetto with little chance for any pursuer.

The man to recover

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Inter – The only element to be recovered, but in fact already enlisted, is De Vrij. The Dutchman stopped for the second time this season due to fatigue (although the one accused in November was much more mangy) and had to deal with muscle problems for the third time after the mid-calf injury March. What is missing from the central oranje, slowed down in Verona just after returning from the injury, is the pace of the match. The last full match played by De Vrij dates back to March 1st, on the occasion of the first leg semi-final against the Rossoneri. Tuesday evening the opportunity to resume the interrupted speech and the leadership role at the center of the defense, also in view of the championship sprint.

Milan – From a physical point of view, there will be no major returns, compared to the match with Genoa. The recovery of some element, if anything, is needed on the psychological side. Brahim Diaz has not scored in months and has just returned from a series of matches: it is difficult for him to start, but he could still have the space of him, also because extra time should not be excluded. Another protagonist to “recover” is Saelemaekers, who appeared not very lucid in recent months: luckily for Pioli, Messias is an alternative to the Belgian, reassured by the 2-0 goal against Genoa.