Thursday, March 28, 2024

Milan 0-0 Inter: Serie A title rivals play out Coppa stalemate

SoccerNews in Serie A 1 Mar 2022

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Neither Milan nor Inter could establish a lead in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final tie, as the Serie A title contenders played out a goalless draw at San Siro.

Rafeal Leao caused problems for Inter in a match where chances were at a premium, but the Rossoneri were unable to make their superiority count against their out-of-form city rivals.

With Italy’s domestic cup not following UEFA’s example of removing the away goals rule, however, the stalemate will certainly be more kindly looked upon on the red side of Milan, who are level on points with Napoli at the top and two ahead of Inter in a fierce race for the Scudetto.

Alexis Saelemaekers tested Samir Handanovic during a frantic start after the stadium observed a heartfelt message from Milan’s Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko, who scored in their last Coppa Italia final win in 2003.

Milan’s Theo Hernandez shot wide after a trademark burst forward, while Alessio Romagnoli denied Inter with a superb defensive header on 20 minutes before limping out of the contest injured.

Stefano Pioli’s men enjoyed the better of the first period, with Rade Krunic shooting over from a great position and the lively Leao troubling Inter in an otherwise uninspiring opening 45 minutes.

Inter’s five failed first-half attempts meant they had failed to score with 67 consecutive shots in all competitions, and they began the second half on the back foot when Handanovic was forced to deny Leao from range.

Krunic missed another promising opportunity soon after, cutting in from the right only to hit a weak shot wide after Alessandro Bastoni blocked well from Saelemaekers.

A rare Nerazzurri attack saw Edin Dzeko narrowly fail to make contact with Denzel Dumfries’ cross, as a tense first leg ended without a goal.

What does it mean? Milan giants unable to seize the initiative

For two of the most storied clubs in the European game, Milan and Inter’s recent Coppa Italia records do not make for good reading after a night on which neither put themselves in the driving seat.

Milan have now drawn 12 of their 18 Coppa Italia semi-final first legs, winning just two of those encounters, while Inter are looking to avoid being eliminated for the fifth time in their last five semi-final appearances. The Nerazzurri have also lost the most matches at this stage of the competition (19).

Rossoneri rearguard holds firm

Despite losing skipper Romagnoli to a muscle injury with just a quarter of the contest gone, Milan secured a vital clean sheet against their neighbours, extending their fine defensive record in this competition. 

Milan have now kept a clean sheet in 12 of their last 18 Coppa Italia games, as they bid to lift the cup for the first time in 19 years.

Milan have the edge in knockout derbies 

Meanwhile, Milan also extended their strong run of results in cup clashes with their arch rivals. The Rossoneri have avoided defeat in eight of the last nine Milan derbies across the Coppa Italia, Champions League, and Supercoppa Italiana, earning four wins and four draws in that time.

What’s next?

Sunday sees Milan face a critical match in their bid to win the Scudetto as they visit Napoli. Inter, meanwhile, have just two days to recover ahead of a home clash with struggling Salernitana in which they can move to the top of the table with a win.

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