Inter vs AC Milan: One team is 90 minutes away from a long-awaited return

Topics: TV Schedules, TV Listings, Inter, AC Milan, UEFA Champions League

The Nerazzurri hold a 2-0 advantage from the first leg of their UCL semi-finals tie. Will they book their spot in the finals, or can Milan stage a comeback?

It's advantage Inter as the Nerazzurri prepare to take on AC Milan for part two of their Champions League semi-finals clash on Tuesday. Thanks to a 2-0 lead, with goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Simone Inzaghi's men are just 90 minutes away from their first Champions League final since 2010.

Indeed, it's been well over a decade since the Nerazzurri, who were then under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, were crowned champions of Europe in a record-breaking season for the Italian side. Of course, Inter will be the underdogs should they reach the final, as the Nerazzurri will have to face either serial Champions League winners Real Madrid or English giants Manchester City in Istanbul next month. Although Inter haven't been at their very best in Serie A, they have been quite solid in the Champions League, and have kept clean sheets in four of their last five games in this competition.

Inter, who will serve as the "home" team, come into this game having eased to a comfortable 4-2 win over Sassuolo with Romelu Lukaku grabbing a brace. The big Belgian was an unused sub during Inter's victory against Milan last week, and it will be interesting to see if his performance over the weekend will be enough for Inzaghi to give him a starting spot, or if the Italian tactician will stick with Dzeko as the man to lead the line alongside Lautaro Martinez.

Meanwhile, Milan have been in flummox as of late. The Rossoneri suffered a shock 2-0 loss to Spezia over the weekend, which has seen Stefano Pioli's side slide down to fifth in the table. The defeat to Inter last week marks the third such negatiev result for Milan against the Nerazzurri, as they have also lost to Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana as well as in Serie A.

A major concern is Milan's latest failure to find the back of the net against their bitter rivals - the last three defeats have seen Milan fail to score. The Diavolo have never gone four sans scoring versus Inter, and the potential absence of Rafael Leao will certainly not alleviate growing concerns about their attacking options.

History is certainly not on Milan's side, as only one team have managed to come back from two or more goals down in the semi-finals to progress. That was Liverpool, who went from 3-0 down against Barcelona in 2019 to win the tie 4-3 on aggregate after a stunning comeback; the Reds then went on to win the final less than a month later.

Both these teams have not featured in a Champions League final in well over a decade. Will Milan be able to mount a successful fightback to earn a ticket to Istanbul? Or will Inter, encouraged by their 2-0 advantage from the first leg, successfully get the job done and prepare themselves for a tough test against either Real Madrid or Manchester City?

Team news: Inter vs Milan

Inter: Joaquin Correa could miss this game after suffering a knock during Inter's 4-2 win over Sassuolo. Milan Skriniar is definitely out, and Robin Gosens is highly unlikely to be involved after only just returning to light training.

Milan: Rafael Leao is still a major doubt for this game and will have to pass a late fitness test. In addition, Junior Messias, Rade Krunic and Ismael Bennacer are all out.

Match facts: Inter vs Milan

Inter have beaten Milan three times so far this season, and could make it a fourth win for only the second time in their club history
Milan have lost their last three meetings with Inter...and have failed to score in every single one of those meetings
Only one team has been able to progress from the semi-finals after losing the first leg by two or more goals...
...which was Liverpool, who overturned a 3-0 deficit to beat Barcelona 4-3 and eventually win the 2019 final
Inter are hoping to appear in their first UCL final since 2010
The Nerazzurri are unbeaten in their last five UCL games (W3 D2)
Milan have won just one of their last 16 UCL games when they've played as the away side (D8 L7)