AC Milan vs Inter Milan Champions League Semifinals Leg 1 Preview

Wednesday brings a tantalizing fixture in the Champions League semifinals as AC Milan and Inter Milan clash in the first leg at San Siro, with kick-off scheduled for 3 PM ET. This is just the first time since the 2004/05 competition that the two sides have met in Europe’s most prized competition, with the Rossoneri prevailing 5-0 on aggregate in the quarterfinals that year. Only two points separate the city rivals in the Serie A table as well.

Head to Head History

Aside from their history in the UCL, these two of course meet on a regular basis domestically. Inter has won back-to-back games against Milan by 3-0 and 1-0 scorelines. The Rossoneri did secure a massive three points at the start of the Italian campaign in September in the Milan Derby, 3-2. But, they only have two victories to show for in the previous eight matches with Inter. 

Can Inter Overcome Past UCL Struggles?

In four meetings with Milan in the Champions League, Inter has never won. In 2002-03 they settled for a pair of draws with the Rossoneri, but an away goal was crucial for the Red and Blacks. That being said, Simone Inzaghi’s side will fancy their chances across these two legs.

The Nerazzurri are a slight +145 favorite for the opening tie at 888sport and come into this fixture in fine form. Inter has won five in a row, outscoring their oppositions 8-0 in the process. Saturday was a dominant 2-0 victory over Roma, with Federico Dimarco and Romelu Lukaku providing the good. Prior to that, Inzaghi’s group smashed Hellas Verona 6-0.

🧠 pic.twitter.com/fbK7t46bZp

— Inter (@Inter_en) May 7, 2023

As for Europe, Inter beat Benfica in the quarterfinals 5-3 on aggregate, with their 2-0 win in the first leg proving to be important before a 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture. It was also a Portuguese opponent who they eliminated in the Round of 16 in Porto thanks to a late Lukaku penalty in the first leg. Inter finished as a runner-up behind Bayern in the group stages, besting Barcelona in the process. 

The visitors have a relatively clean bill of health for Wednesday. Milan Skriniar, Alessandro Fontanarosa, and Dalbert are the only ones dealing with injuries. 

Milan Has Good UCL Track Record at Home

AC Milan might not win another Scudetto in 2022-23, but they have all the opportunity to compete for Europe’s biggest trophy. Their form in the Champions League is rather impressive as well. Stefano Pioli’s side has only conceded once in their last six UCL matches. On top of that, they’ve only tasted defeat once in six semifinal ties at San Siro in the competition. That’s certainly a good sign.

Milan took care of the newly-crowned Serie A champions in the quarterfinals in Napoli, 2-1 on aggregate. The Round of 16 wasn’t an easy opponent either, knocking out Harry Kane and Tottenham. The club finished in second in group play behind Chelsea in a rather simple pod, but regardless, Milan has proven their worth since.

💪 Tuning up for the Euroderby 🔴⚫#UCL #MilanInter #SempreMilan

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— AC Milan (@acmilan) May 7, 2023

In league action, Pioli’s boys are enjoying a nine-game unbeaten run. Although there were a few underwhelming draws in there, the Red and Blacks notched a convincing 2-0 victory at the weekend over Lazio thanks to goals from Ismael Bennacer and Theo Hernandez.

Despite being a slight underdog at most soccer betting sites for the opening tie, Milan cannot be underestimated considering their impressive resume in the competition against Inter. Thankfully, their squad is essentially at full strength too, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Tommaso Pobega the only absentees.