Ahead of the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg between Milan and Inter kicking off on Wednesday evening, here is everything you need to know about the two teams, their respective injuries, their form and historic success in the competition.
Kick-off in San Siro is due at 20.00. Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog.
With Milan out of the Champions League, the Coppa Italia remains the team’s only realistic chance of another major trophy in 2024-25. Inter, meanwhile, are dreaming of an historic treble, as they lead the Serie A standings, are in the Champions League quarter-finals and are three games away from winning the Coppa Italia again.
Both teams are expected to make a series of changes from their recent Serie A matches on Sunday, Inter having beaten Udinese 2-1, Milan falling to a 2-1 loss against Napoli later in the evening.
For Milan, the biggest news is that Rafael Leao is set to return to the starting XI after being left out of Sergio Conceicao’s line-up at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday. Conceicao could also make a series of changes at the back, with Malick Thiaw in line to return at centre-back in place of Strahinja Pavlovic.
Otherwise, it should be a fairly familiar Rossoneri XI, featuring the likes of Kyle Walker, Theo Hernandez, Youssouf Fofana, Tijjani Reijnders and Christian Pulisic.
Simone Inzaghi has a series of Serie A suspensions to consider. Alessandro Bastoni served a one-match ban against Udinese over the weekend and could come back into the starting XI, while Nicolo Barella will have to sit out of the next Serie A match against Parma, so it would make sense for him to start in the Coppa Italia as well.
Those who will definitely not be involved through injury or illness include Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Emerson Royal for Milan and Lautaro Martinez, Mehdi Taremi, Piotr Zielinski and Denzel Dumfries for Inter. Kristjan Asllani is suspended.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Gabbia, Thiaw, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Jimenez, Pulisic, Leao; Abraham.
Inter (3-5-2): Josep Martinez; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Barella, Carlos Augusto; Thuram, Correa.
Inter (3-5-2): Josep Martinez; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Barella, Carlos Augusto; Thuram, Correa.
The Coppa Italia semi-final will be the fourth and fifth meetings of the two sides so far in 2024-25. Milan have got the better of their city rivals so far over their last three meetings this season.
The Rossoneri rose to a surprise 2-1 win over Inter in their first Serie A meeting of the season while Paulo Fonseca was still in charge. Sergio Conceicao, meanwhile, secured a 3-2 comeback win in Riyadh in the Supercoppa Italiana final in January, which was just his second game in charge.
The Coppa Italia semi-final first leg will be the 243rd time that Milan and Inter have met in all competitions.
Inter have won 91 of their previous meetings, Milan have won 81, and 70 have ended in draws.
Milan have the more favourable record against Inter in the Coppa Italia, though, with 10 wins, nine losses and eight draws from their previous 27 domestic cup meeting
Paramount+ and Fox Deportes will broadcast the game live in the USA, while Premier Sports has the rights for Coppa Italia fixtures in the UK.
You can follow all the action as it unfolds on the Football Italia Liveblog.
