Inter – Milan

Milan can avoid a repeat defeat in the return leg of the Champions League semi-final

The first leg at the San Siro drew not only 75,000 fans for both teams but also several generations of Inter and Milan stars. In front of the crowd, the Nerazzurri secured their first-ever win in the Champions League play-offs against their fellow countrymen. Previously, Milan had reached the semi-finals in 2002/2003 and the quarter-finals in 2004/2005 without a single defeat. That said, there is still a chance for the Rossoneri to win the duel again. Last Wednesday, Milan went down to the wire early in the encounter. First, Dzeko was quicker in the opponents' box following a corner, and then Mkhitaryan burst into Magnan's penalty area and shot past the keeper from eleven metres. In the first half, Inter had several more opportunities to increase their lead, but Pioli's team withstood the pressure. The second half was evenly matched and didn't change the scoreline - 0-2. In the return leg, bookmakers opted to favour the home side with an odds of 1.74. After the Milan derby in the league, Inter hosted Sassuolo at their home ground. After an hour's play, the Nerazzurri were on a spirited run when they scored three unanswered goals, but they relaxed early on and conceded twice. Lukaku relieved the pressure in the 89th to make it 4-2. The victory was Inter's seventh in a row and their fifth successive win by two goals or more. The three points also put the Nerazzurri firmly in third place. It seems that the players will go into the return leg in high spirits. The Milan players can hardly boast the same. The Italian side lost their league game on Saturday to a modest Spezia side. Such a result not only worsened the situation of Pioli's team in terms of mood, but also increased the gap from the top 4 in Serie A. Milan are now backed against the wall - a semi-final exit will not only deprive them of their chance of winning the current Champions League, but will also prevent them from competing in Europe's elite tournament next season. We're betting that Milan will do their best in the return leg and at least not lose it.