Preview: Inter Milan vs. Juventus – prediction, team news, lineups

Fierce rivals Inter Milan and Juventus go toe-to-toe within the Coppa Italia on Tuesday, because the condensed cup schedule now reaches its semi-final stage.

A two-legged Derby d’Italia will determine which of the golf equipment will meet Atalanta or Napoli on this season’s showpiece last, with the second leg to come back subsequent week.

Match preview

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The final time these two giants of Calcio confronted one another at San Siro – simply over a fortnight in the past, within the league – it was Inter who got here out on prime, beating Juventus 2-0 in a calculating show of their title credentials.

In any other case, January was a patchy affair for the Nerazzurri, with attracts in opposition to Udinese and Roma – plus an sudden defeat to Sampdoria – interrupting their beforehand relentless Serie A rhythm. It got here to a conclusion most satisfactorily although, as Antonio Conte‘s males edged previous outdated foes Milan within the Coppa semis after which battered Benevento on the weekend.

That explosive Derby della Madonnina success within the quarter-final noticed Inter seal victory solely within the dying moments, by Christian Eriksen‘s chic free kick, however in opposition to ten-man Milan – depleted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic‘s dismissal – they totally merited the win.

Beforehand out within the chilly, earlier than Conte supplied him a possibility in Marcelo Brozovic‘s deep-lying function, Eriksen additionally began – and practically notched one other – of their subsequent 4-0 league victory. Put up-match rave critiques highlighted the Danish playmaker’s seemingly forgotten game-changing skills and set-piece wizardry, suggesting the previous Tottenham Hotspur man may very well be ‘reborn’ after practically a 12 months of strife.

Following Saturday’s stroll, the Nerazzurri have now gained their final eight residence video games – and misplaced simply one in every of their earlier sixteen in whole – in the meantime sustaining their tag as Serie A’s prime scorers. In truth, because the restart of the highest 5 European leagues post-lockdown, solely Bayern Munich have registered extra objectives than Inter’s 77, thanks largely to the continued reliability of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.

Scorching on the heels of Milan within the league, Inter haven’t lifted the Coppa for a decade, so on Tuesday their intention is to take one other step in direction of their first home double because the Jose Mourinho period.

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Defeat to Inter earlier this month – when Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo was singularly outmanoeuvred by Conte – appears to have acted as one thing of a catalyst for the Bianconeri.

It has proved to be the one defeat they’ve suffered because the flip of the 12 months, throughout a fixture-packed run that includes league, cup and Supercoppa success – a streak that has elevated them to 3rd in the Serie A standings, simply 5 factors behind second-placed Inter, with a recreation nonetheless in hand.

In January, Juventus managed to show over Milan, Udinese, Sassuolo, Genoa, Bologna, Sampdoria and Napoli – maintaining clear sheets in all 4 video games since shedding at San Siro.

Dropping finalists final 12 months, Juve added Serie B promotion contenders SPAL to that record of victims within the quarter-finals, thereby inching additional in direction of a record-extending 14th cup triumph within the spring.

Their serene 4-0 win final Wednesday got here in stark distinction to the earlier spherical, the place Pirlo’s aspect scraped previous Genoa, thanks solely to the unlikely extra-time intervention of Tunisian worldwide Hamza Rafia – an unheralded former Lyon youth graduate, making his first-team debut as an alternative.

Juve’s job this Tuesday is actually a much more daunting one, with the load of precedent loaded in opposition to them claiming a first-leg win in Milan – solely three of the earlier nineteen conferences between these long-time rivals have been gained by the visiting aspect.

With confidence excessive although – and Federico Chiesa now changing into a daily title in help of Cristiano Ronaldo on the stat sheet – the Outdated Girl can justifiably dream of heading again to Turin with a optimistic outcome.

Inter Milan Coppa Italia type: WWW
Inter Milan type (all competitions): DWWDWW

Juventus Coppa Italia type: WWW
Juventus type (all competitions): WLWWWW

Staff Information

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Inter striker Romelu Lukaku – like his head-to-head opponent final week, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – was handed a one-match suspension following their quarter-final conflict. An integral attacking menace from wing-back, Achraf Hakimi should additionally serve a ban, so the pair shall be changed by Alexis Sanchez and Matteo Darmian respectively.

Danilo D’Ambrosio stays injured, however in any other case Antonio Conte has a completely match squad, so could also be inclined to convey Marcelo Brozovic again in on the expense of Christian Eriksen, whereas Ashley Young is in competition to switch Ivan Perisic as a extra defensively sound choice on the left flank – given the menace posed by Juve’s Juan Cuadrado.

Paulo Dybala stays the one main absentee for Andrea Pirlo, who ought to give veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon one other cup outing, whereas doubtlessly resting Giorgio Chiellini – due to this fact Matthijs de Ligt would come into the centre of the Juventus defence.

Brazilian full-backs Danilo and Alex Sandro look like in direct competitors for a spot on the left of a again 4, whereas in midfield, Rodrigo Bentancur will serve a suspension within the league subsequent weekend so ought to begin alongside both Arthur or Adrien Rabiot.

Nonetheless a paragon of health at his comparatively advancing age, Cristiano Ronaldo is anticipated to begin once more, with both Dejan Kulusevski or Alvaro Morata offering his attacking accomplice.

Inter Milan potential beginning lineup:
Handanovic; Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Brozovic, Vidal, Younger; Martinez, Sanchez

Juventus potential beginning lineup:
Buffon; Cuadrado, Bonucci, De Ligt, Sandro; McKennie, Bentancur, Arthur, Chiesa; Kulusevski, Ronaldo

We are saying: Inter Milan 1-1 Juventus

There’s little to decide on between the groups when it comes to type because the final time they met, so this primary leg might presumably present a cagey affair – although most likely nonetheless a fiery one.

Count on the tie to stay within the stability forward of subsequent week’s second act, with Inter capable of suffocate the guests’ probing because of the depth of their work-rate, however missing the decisive enter of key males Lukaku and Hakimi.

High betting tip