Having secured a 2-0 victory in a fascinating first leg, Inter already have one foot in the finale but will be fearful of an almighty response from a scorned Milan side desperate to stop their rivals from reaching the European showpiece.
AC Milan’s players were publicly criticized by their own fans following their shock defeat to Spezia in Serie A. This could have an impact on their morale and confidence going into the game against Inter Milan. However, the Rossoneri will be keen to bounce back and salvage some pride in what has been a disappointing season for them.
Inter Milan, on the other hand, will be high on confidence after their 4-2 win over Sassuolo. The Nerazzurri have already taken a significant step towards reaching the Champions League final with their 2-0 victory in the first leg, but they will not take their foot off the pedal as they look to secure their place in the final.
Inter Milan vs AC Milan H2H and Numbers
- Inter Milan have a good historical record in the Derby della Madonnina and have won 88 out of the 236 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to AC Milan’s 79 victories.
- Inter Milan have defeated AC Milan on three occasions in all competitions this season and last achieved four victories in a single campaign against the Rossoneri in the 1973-74 campaign.
- AC Milan have lost their last three matches against Inter Milan in all competitions and have failed to score in these games despite attempting a total of 31 shots.
- Inter Milan are looking to reach a final of the UEFA Champions League for the sixth time in their history and for the first time since they achieved the feat under Jose Mourinho in 2010.
- AC Milan have won only one of their last 16 matches as the away side in knock-out matches in the UEFA Champions League.
Team News
Having made a number of changes at the weekend – to preserve his star men for Tuesday’s defining derby – Inter coach Simone Inzaghi will recall players including Lautaro Martinez, Denzel Dumfries and Andre Onana against Milan.
Due to Robin Gosens having just returned to fitness following a dislocated shoulder, Federico Dimarco was retained for the win over Sassuolo, and the wing-back has assisted five goals from open play in the Champions League this season – more than any other player.
Only Milan Skriniar will definitely miss out due to injury, though Joaquin Correa picked up a knock on Saturday and may be sidelined. In any case, the Argentinian striker must make way for Martinez, while it remains to be seen whether Inzaghi will select Edin Dzeko or Romelu Lukaku as the latter’s strike partner.
Milan, meanwhile, are dealing with a potentially lengthy absence list, as Junior Messias, Rade Krunic and Ismael Bennacer – whose season has now been ended by a knee injury – all joined star man Rafael Leao in missing the trip to La Spezia.
As the Rossoneri’s hopes of reaching the final could hinge on Leao’s availability in midweek, he will be given every chance to recover; Alexis Saelemaekers is likely to deputise if the Portugal forward fails to pass a fitness test.
Olivier Giroud returns up front, meaning demotion to the bench for Divock Origi, while captain Davide Calabria should come in for Pierre Kalulu at right-back. To add more pace in defence, Malick Thiaw is expected to replace Simon Kjaer.
Inter Milan vs AC Milan predicted lineup
Inter Milan: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko
AC Milan: Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Tonali, Pobega; Diaz, Krunic, Saelemaekers; Giroud
