Inter VS Milan Venue: San Siro, Milan
Inter VS Milan Date: Wednesday, April 22
BetXchange Inter VS Milan Odds:
History
The Coppa Italia semi-final between bitter city rivals Inter and Milan is finely poised. The two sides drew the first leg 1-1, with Tammy Abraham scoring for Milan and Hakan Calhanoglu replying for Inter. They return to the San Siro on Wednesday, knowing that whoever wins will advance to face either Bologna or Empoli in the final next month. Given that Bolonga carries a three-goal lead into that game, they are the odds-on choice.
These are two teams in very different spots. Milan sits in ninth place in Serie A and is coming to the end of a difficult season. Head coach Sergio Conceicao has admitted he is expecting to be fired at the end of the season, with this competition marking his only remaining chance to go out with a bang.
Inter, on the other hand, is poised for something special. They are battling with Napoli at the top of Serie A, with both teams having 71 points with a handful of games remaining. They are also in the last four of the Champions League after overcoming Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. They next face Barcelona, so a win here would keep their treble dreams very much alive.
Inter
Inter are fighting on three fronts, and this is realistically the least important of those competitions. Expect some changes to their starting lineup, as any player with a hint of an injury is rested for bigger things ahead.
Rumours out of the camp suggest that Kristjan Asllani, Mehdi Taremi, Federico Demarco, and Josep Martinez will all be in the first XI tonight. Not all stars will be rested, so expect the ever-dangerous Lautaro Martinez to continue to spearhead Inter’s attack.
A four-match winless run couldn’t have come at a much worse time for the hosts.
Milan
The worry for Milan is that if they don’t win this competition, they may face a 2025-26 season without European football. They are currently six points behind Roma in the final European qualification spot, and their inconsistent league form makes it hard to see them rallying from here.
Milan will look to their creative stars to light up the San Siro and lead them to an unexpected win. Christian Pulisic is often their go-to player, with the American international having scored 15 goals in all competitions this season.
They also need Portuguese winger Rafael Leao to have one of his good games. Leao, like most wingers, can drift in and out of games, going through long periods without making an impact. He has to be at it from the first minute to the last tonight.
Best Bets
Inter are the clear favorites to win this game and progress to the final. The Milan side is certainly capable, with players like Leao and Pulisic serious goal threats. The issue with backing them is their lack of consistency and ability to win under the much-maligned Conceicao.
They both lost at the weekend, a defeat potentially more crucial for Inter than for Milan. Even with their lack of victories over the last couple of weeks, this is Inter’s chance to put that right. Expect them to win on the night in normal time.
