Juventus will seek to trump an inconsistent Inter Milan in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final
Italian giants Juventus will be keen to get the better of defending champions Inter Milan when they travel to the Giuseppe Meazza for the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday night.
The matchup is a repeat of last season’s final the Nerazzurri won 4-2. Both teams were involved in two heated clashes earlier this season, one of them the first leg from Turin that ended 1-1. Juan Cuadrado and Romelu Lukaku both scored and got sent off on the night in a game that made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The former will be suspended for the night but the latter saw his suspension overturned for the game. Apart from the bad blood built up in recent times, the chance to win silverware will add to the occasion.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side were boosted last week when their 15-point deduction was overturned in Serie A. This saw them rise up to the third spot, masking what is now three losses on the bounce in the league.
Inter have also been on a poor run in the league, which has been compensated for by their incredible runs in cup competitions. Despite having the UEFA Champions League semifinal and a top-four fight in the league to look forward to, the Coppa Italia is the club’s best shot at winning more silverware this season.
The Giuseppe Meazza has looked little like a fortress in recent weeks but given the heat from the first leg, one can bet that Simone Inzxaghi and his men will be up for Juventus’s visit. It will come as little surprise if some of the enthusiasm should spill over onto the field during the match.
Inter’ for their part, have held the upper hand over Juventus in recent years when it comes to big games. They not only beat them to the Scudetto in 2021 but also got the better of that Bianconeri in last season’s Coppa Italia final and the Supercoppa Italiana. They retained the latter earlier this season, defeating AC Milan.
The coming weeks will be pivotal for both clubs on the European front and securing a spot in the Coppa Italia final will certainly be a boost to morale. Momentum is important in the closing stages of a season and the game could prove to be pivotal to both sides and their fortunes on the night.
The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Di corsa verso #InterJuventus 🏃#ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/sy3KNvq3Yy
— Inter (@Inter) April 25, 2023
The Nerazzurri will be boosted by the return of Romelu Lukaku to form who scored in the weekend win over Empoli. The Belgian also saw his suspension revoked and should be motivated to have the final laugh in the fixture.
Having rotated his side at the weekend, Inzaghi is expected to bring back the big guns for the night. Star defender Milan Skriniar and Stefan De Vrij will miss out while Henrikh Mkhitaryan is in doubt to play from the start. Samir Handanovic remains suspended following his sending-off in the first leg.
The 3-5-2 formation should be back on the night with Inzaghi merely shuffling his personnel rather than the tactics. Andre Onana will start in goal behind a back three of Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni.
Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco will provide the width as the wing-backs with the trio of Marcelo Brozovic, Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu providing the haymaker in the centre. Barella provided a match-winning performance against Benfica last week and will be expected to rise to the occasion on the night.
Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez scored three goals together at the weekend and will be keen to rekindle that connection. The former, in particular, has been patchy in bits this season and will need to rise to the occasion and settle what is becoming a heated rivalry.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Martinez, Lukaku
Juventus
The Bianconeri lost in stoppage time to title-bound Napoli at the weekend and have now suffered three straight defeats in the league for the first time since 2011. Allegri is a master tactician but the lack of balance in his side coupled with inconsistency has seen them struggle to impress on a regular basis.
Cuadrado is suspended for the game while Moise Kean is still injured. The Bianconeri have an otherwise fully available roster to choose from. Juventus are expected to go in with a 3-5-2 formation that should match Inter stride for stride and also give their star wing-back Filip Kostic the opportunity to get forward as much as possible.
Mattia Perin should start in goal behind the back three of Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer and Danilo. Their compact shape should free up Mattia De Sciglio and Filip Kostic to get forward and provide service to Dusan Vlahovic and Angel Di Maria.
Fabio Miretti and Manuel Locatelli should partner Adrien Rabiot in central midfield. The Frenchman will provide the thrust forward from the central area with Locatelli acting as the anchor. The direct face-off against Inter’s midfield triad should decide the outcome of the game.
Testa alla semifinale. pic.twitter.com/BSZoc3VNCe
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) April 25, 2023
Angel Di Maria and Dusan Vlahvoci will start the game as a front two, with the former dropping back to function as a playmaker when needed. Vlahovic will lead the line and will be trusted to get the goals, something he has struggled with in recent times.
Arkadiusz Milik and Federico Chiesa are expected to start on the bench and will be brought on if Inter seizes control of the tie.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Perin; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; De Sciglio, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Di Maria; Vlahovic
Key Stats
- Either Inter Milan or Juventus have made it to the final of the Coppa Italia in 10 of the last 13 seasons.
- Juventus have won the Coppa Italia more than any other side in the competition’s history. The Bianconeri have won the cup 14 times, making it to the final on 21 different occasions.
- Both teams have faced off on 35 occasions in the Coppa Italia, with Juventus winning 16 times. Inter Milan have come out on top 11 times, while eight games have ended in a draw
- This is the third time in three seasons that both teams have faced off in the Coppa Italia. Juventus prevailed in the semifinals of 2020/21 while Inter Milan won last season’s final.
- Juventus are chasing a ninth straight Coppa Italia final appearance. They have won the cup on seven occasions, losing just twice.
- Inter Milan last retained the Coppa Italia title in 2011. The Nerazzurri also made it to consecutive finals the last time in 2010 and 2011.
Player to Watch
Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian showed nerves of steel to dispatch an injury-time penalty in the first leg and was also bold enough to give it back to the Juventus crowd who were racially abusing him. Now that his suspension is revoked for the game, nobody on the field will be more motivated than Lukaku to settle this tie.
Lukaku has failed to hit the heights of his previous Serie A MVP-winning campaign in Italy but warmed up for the gamer with a well-taken brace against Empoli at the weekend. He will prove to be a difficult player to mark when in form and will be motivated to make a difference.
Prediction
Inter Milan 1-1 Juventus (Inter Milan to win 2-1 in extra time to secure the tie 3-2 on) aggregate
There has been no love lost between the teams in recent months and one can expect fireworks on the night. Juventus will come ready for a fight while the Inter faithful will certainly get right behind their team. The game is unlikely to be a footballing spectacle and could instead turn into a pitched battle between two teams with an eye on the prize. In a hard-fought game. Inzaghi and co have defied expectations in cup competitions this season and will be expected to make a major step in defending their title by deposing the Bianconeri.
