Milan and Inter don’t get hurt in an emotionless derby

Draw without goals: the pass to the final remains in the balance until the second leg Little show, the match reflects the difficult moment of the two teams

Milan and Inter cancel each other out in the first leg derby of the Coppa Italia semi-final, postponing the practical qualification to the April match. The 0-0 at San Siro, the result of a very blocked game but played a little better by Milan, offers the Rossoneri some more chances in view of the return leg. In the Italian Cup, in fact, away goals continue to be worth double and therefore Pioli’s men will only need a draw with goals to win the final. No alternative for Inter: an obligatory victory unless the next match drags on, after another 0-0, to penalties.

Score of the match in equilibrium from the start: the teams fear each other and their medians fail to take over. But suddenly Milan raises the engine revs: in the 9th minute Saelemaekers takes advantage of a wrong clearance by Brozovic in front of the penalty area and calls Handanovic to a parade on the ground and a few moments later Hernandez wedges himself in the Nerazzurri defense but his conclusion right does not frame the door. Milan appears to be more aggressive, Leao and Hernandez’s speed makes Inter apprehensive several times as it struggles a bit to find the tips. The first timid attempt by the Italian champions, in fact, is by Bastoni in the 20 ‘: an easy save by Maignan. Trouble for Milan in the 25th minute: captain Romagnoli throws in the towel for a stretch and gives way to Kalulu.

There is more Rossoneri on the lawn: Leao appears unleashed and in the 32nd minute forces Brozovic to spend a yellow card. Milan again in the 39th minute: Krunic’s shot from the edge deflected for a corner. Towards the end of the first half, Inter tried to raise the center of gravity but Barella did not appear in the great evening, Brozovic’s direction was disturbed by the Bennacer-Kessie tandem and Milan controlled the flanks better. Calhanoglu’s timid protests at the sunset of the fraction for a contrast with Saelemaekers in the area: referee Mariani does well to keep the ball going.

AC Milan took off in the second half: in the 46th minute Handanovic deflected an insidious shot from the usual Leao and a few moments later Skriniar energetically embraced Giroud in the area risking a penalty. Yellow for Lautaro in the 57th minute for a hard intervention on Maignan. Milan continues to put more energy into it: in the 63rd minute the sparkling Florenzi calls Handanovic to parade. Inzaghi could not be satisfied with his team and in the 65th minute he called the disappointing Barella and Lautaro to the bench to insert Vidal and Sanchez. Pioli’s immediate counter move: in Messias, Diaz and Rebic. Among the excluded, surprisingly, the excellent Leao, who comes out visibly perplexed. Out in Inter in the 79th minute Dzeko, in Correa.

The whirlwind of substitutions removes reference points on the field and breaks up the game which becomes confused: the two teams battle but appear less lucid and errors multiply. Inside Calabria for Florenzi at 84 ‘. The last move in the 88th minute belongs to Inzaghi who changes both sides by inserting Darmian and Gosens for Perisic and Dumfries. But now it’s too late and the tie doesn’t break even. –