Inter at San Siro, Sheriff Milan arrives to charge at Porto

The third day begins. Decisive races in the race to the passage of the turn

Milano

Nine years to return to play together in the Champions League, one evening not to abandon the stage at the first act. For Inter and Milan, the third match of the group is already decisive after the first 180 minutes without a win, with just one point won by two, that of Inter with Shakhtar Donetsk in Kiev. A balance that contrasts with the historic coat of arms of the only European city capable of lifting the Champions Cup with two different teams.

Inter have not yet scored: 0-1 with Real Madrid, 0-0 with Shakhtar. A contradiction for Simone Inzaghi’s team that has the best attack in Serie A and in Europe is second only to Ajax for scoring chances created in the league (source Cies, the study center on continental football). With the Sheriff Tiraspol, at San Siro, the Italian champions can no longer abstain. The Moldovans lead the group with full points. I am a very curious army, made up of footballers from around the world. Eight different nationalities only among the owners: Greece, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Ghana, Mali, Luxembourg and a Brazilian with Italian citizenship, the 22-year-old Fernando Costanza. One of the strengths will be missing: the goalkeeper Georgios Athanasiadis, determined in the success of the Santiago Bernabeu, who remained in Moldova due to physical problems. But it does not change the spirit of the club, embodied by the president Victor Gusan, a military character who does not go too thin: in the interval of a championship game, closed at a disadvantage, he threw a grenade with safety on the floor of the locker room, promising that it would have really blown it up if there was no comeback. Episodes that make skirmishes banal the scenes seen on Saturday on the lawn of the Olimpico after the 2-1 Lazio goal with Dimarco on the ground. Inzaghi hopes that the Inter players will be able to leverage that disappointment: «I have seen disappointment and inc…, I am very pleased, because it means that I am dealing with great champions. It will take nastiness, aggression and determination. Without losing his distance because the Sheriff is dangerous when he starts again ». Milan must face an even more hungry opponent: Sergio Conceiçao’s Porto, stopped at one point, the result of the away draw with Atletico Madrid and the defeat at home with Liverpool. It’s a playoff at the Estadio do Dragão. Stefano Pioli does not recover Rebic who joins Maignan, Hernandez, Kessie, Diaz, Messias and Florenzi among the absent (in addition to Castillejo out of the Champions list).

“Unfortunately our ranking does not reflect the performances with Atletico and Liverpool, where we understood that the details make the difference – says Pioli – we must play in Europe with the same personality shown in the league”. The regrets are linked to the home defeat against Atletico, conditioned by the decisions of referee Cakir. Ibrahimovic, who will start from the bench, is chasing a record Champions League goal, the first scored by an over 40. Milan needs its drivers to finally smile in Europe. –