Champions League: Inter plot Istanbul date as city rivals AC Milan face stern task to overturn 2-0 deposit

Inter Milan will have a day with destiny on Tuesday, May 16 evening as they take on city rivals AC Milan in the second leg of the Champions League (CL) semifinal. Boosted by the goals of influential Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Inter will come into the contest with a 2-0 lead and a foot in the showpiece final in Istanbul. AC Milan on the horizon will have a tough task to overpower their opponents at the San Siro, where they will be the designated away team.

What is up for stake?

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi was handed an ultimatum by the club bosses at the turn of the year to overturn the fortunes of the club after a torrid start. The manager has responded well and could take his team to an unlikely double of Champions League and Copa Italia despite a torrid campaign. Inter scored two goals in the opening 11 minutes of the first leg and struck the post with former AC Milan man Hakan Çalhanoğlu in the first half. Interestingly, Inter had a penalty overturned as well which could have seen made matters worse for the red side of the city.

On the flip side, AC Milan will look to book their place in the final for the first time since 2007 when they beat Liverpool in the final. AC Milan beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 16 while they got the better of Napoli in the quarterfinal. While Zlatan Ibrahimović is not registered for the Champions League, Rafael Leao is also nursing an injury and could see Olivier Giroud lead the side in the Derby della Madonnina.

While one of the two teams will make the final next month in Istanbul, it is worth noting that the two teams are also locked in a tight race for the top four. If either team misses out on the top four, they could still play in the Champions League, however, with Inter in pole position in both competitions, AC Milan will have to turn the tables to be back in Europe’s elite next season.

Predicted line-ups

Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Dzeko, Martínez.

Milan XI: Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Kjær, Theo Hernández; Tonali, Krunić; Saelemaekers, Brahim Diaz, Leao; Giroud.