A thrilling contest is expected when AC Milan face Inter Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana final at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh on Wednesday night.
Just days after hosting the Spanish Super Cup final, King Fahd Stadium will serve as the setting for a massive Supercoppa Italiana showpiece between AC Milan and Inter Milan on Wednesday. The Derby Della Madonnina will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time, adding a new element to this perennial rivalry.
Neither AC Milan nor Inter Milan have made perfect starts to the ongoing domestic campaign. AC Milan, for one, are currently going through a rough patch in their season, as the Rossoneri have been in dismal form since the restart.
They had a rough evening on Saturday, conceding two first-half goals and several chances on the break against an in-form Lecce, but were able to salvage a point with a better second-half display.
With league leaders Napoli now a significant nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table and Milan already eliminated from the Coppa Italia following a 1-0 extra-time loss to Torino last weekend, this is their best shot at domestic silverware and to regain their mojo.
However, standing in the Rossoneri’s way is none other than their fierce rivals Inter, who narrowly edged relegation-battlers Hellas Verona 1-0 on Saturday. Lautaro Martinez’s early goal was enough for Inter to seize all three points at the San Siro.
Despite facing heavy scrutiny following his side’s underwhelming showings this season, Simone Inzaghi is steadily turning Inter’s fortunes around. The Nerazzurri are in absolutely red-hot form and are riding high on an unbeaten streak dating back to early November 2022. They began the year with a brilliant victory against the mighty Napoli, handing the Partenopei their first defeat of the season.
Inter are the defending Super Cup champions, having defeated Juventus 2-1 in extra time last year. They haven’t won back-to-back titles since 2005-2006, and they’ve lost both prior grand final matchups versus Milan going all the way back to 1997.
When fierce city rivals AC Milan and Inter met earlier this season in the Serie A, the Rossoneri won 3-2, and another action-packed Derby Della Madonnina could be on the cards when the teams clash in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
🗣️ The Coach and the Captain ahead of the #SupercoppaItaliana
🗣️ Le parole del Mister e del Capitano alla vigilia della Supercoppa#MilanInter #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/oQ8gdBCsyH
— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 17, 2023
Aside from long-term absentees Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mike Maignan, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli will be without the services of Fode Ballo-Toure, Alessandro Florenzi, Rade Krunic, and Ante Rebic against Inter Milan.
Milan have bolstered their goalkeeping department in light of the injury to first-choice Maignan with the acquisition of Devis Vasquez from Club Guarani in Paraguay. Given the 24-year-old has not yet been exposed to European football, Ciprian Tatarusanu will continue in goal, with Milan lining up in Pioli’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
The Rossoneri were renowned for their energetic, high-pressing style in the early stages of the season, but their defensive rigidity has kind of waned a bit, having conceded 20 Serie A goals this term.
However, this is not only down to their defence but also to the midfield combination of Sandro Tonali and Ismael Bennacer, who are not exactly defensive midfield behemoths to give ample support to the backline. They haven’t replaced Franck Kessie, and due to a lack of choices, Pioli will use the Bennacer-Tonali pivot once more, with the latter now available after serving a suspension last time out.
At the back, it is a straight battle between Simon Kjaer and Pierre Kalulu to form the centre-half partnership with Fikayo Tomori at the heart of Milan’s backline for the Supercoppa final.
Given that Kjaer has recently come back from injury and is not as fresh as Kalulu, the Frenchman may get the nod to be the starter. But the Dane’s vast experience could come in handy in the latter stages to see out the game. Captain Davide Calabria is a guaranteed starter at the right-back position, whereas Theo Hernandez will provide the attacking thrust from the left-back position.
Pioli has been favouring the work of Brahim Diaz in the middle of the three attacking midfielders, which means Charles de Ketelaere will have to yet again contend with a place on the bench.
Alexis Saelemaekers will be a crafty presence on the right, whereas top goal-scorer Rafael Leao will look to cause absolute mayhem with his speed and skill, as well as his ability to unsettle defences with his mazy dribbles. Olivier Giroud is expected to lead the line for his side in the Supercoppa Italiana final. Divock Origi will serve as an impact sub on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Tatarusanu; Calabria, Tomori, Kalulu, Hernandez; Bennacer, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Leao; Giroud
Inter Milan
Inter managed to get back to winning ways in Serie A on Saturday, but they will be missing several key players for the derby clash. Samir Handanovic and Marcelo Brozovic did not train at all with the group and are bound to miss out here, while Romelu Lukaku has only done light training but still has a chance of being passed fit to face the Rossoneri in the final on Wednesday night.
In the absence of Handanovic, Andre Onana is set to start in goal. Francesco Acerbi has been a standout performer for Inter since arriving on loan from Lazio in a low-key transfer last summer, having shored up a leaky Inter rearguard.
He is certain to start at the heart of the back three alongside Milan Skriniar and Alessandro Bastoni considering his recent form. Denzel Dumfries could be a busy man on the right, going up against Rafael Leao, which would be an intriguing battle. Meanwhile, Federico Dimarco will be providing quality from the right-wing position.
Primi passi in campo 📸#ForzaInter #SupercoppaItaliana
— Inter (@Inter) January 16, 2023
Roberto Gagliardini could bring solidity to their midfield and is also likely to get the nod to start. He is a tough tackler who also excels in aerial duels. Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will bring technique and creativity to the middle of the park.
While there is not much to write home about his contribution to Argentina’s World Cup triumph, Lautaro Martinez remains one of the best strikers on the planet. He is also a big-game player and was on the scoresheet in the last Super Cup showdown against Juventus. Edin Dzeko has also been consistent and is likely to start this game against AC Milan.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Skriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Gagliardini, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko
Key Stats
- AC Milan trail Inter Milan in the all-time head-to-head record, having won 79 of their 233 meetings in all competitions, drawn 69, and lost 85, although just one of their previous five meetings has resulted in a loss (W2 D2).
- AC Milan will be aiming to lift the Super Cup trophy for the first time since 2011.
- Inter are without a loss in their last 11 games, while AC Milan have failed to win six of their last ten games in all competitions.
- Since club football’s resumption after the World Cup hiatus, Milan have only won one of their four appearances in domestic competitions (D2 L1).
- Giroud will compete with fellow 36-year-old Edin Dzeko to become the oldest player in Supercoppa history, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo (35 years and 350 days) in the process.
Player to Watch
Rafael Leao
Who else? It is always Rafael Leao. The Portuguese forward had a relatively quiet game against Lecce by his lofty standards. But he still scored with a superb finish to spark Milan’s comeback. Such a performance showed again why clubs like Manchester City are keen on signing him.
A tricky, lightning-quick winger, his presence on the pitch is always a threat to defenders, considering he is very hard to mark. Leao ran Inter ragged and proved too hot to handle, scoring twice in September. And Stefano Pioli will expect more of the same from his game-changer.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-3 Inter Milan (A.E.T.)
The Milan derbies are always stirred up for a feisty contest. Seven of the last nine meetings between AC Milan and Inter Milan have ended with over 2.5 goals being scored. With a trophy on the line and the chance to win the bragging right over their neighbours on their way to lifting it, both teams could go tooth-and-nail in quest of glory this week.
So The Hard Tackle expects fireworks on show at the King Fahd International Stadium. And Inter will probably edge their city-rivals in the added extra-time thanks to their better recent form and Simone Inzaghi’s previous experience in this competition.
A three-time champion of the Supercoppa Italiana, Inzaghi has earned a reputation as something of a cup competition specialist between his time with Lazio and with the Nerazzurri, having also won the Coppa Italia twice. He showed his coaching excellence by ousting Barcelona in the so-called “Group of Death” earlier this season and could well mastermind a win over AC Milan here.
