After the thirtieth matchday of the Serie A season, Milan and Inter prepare for the derby on Wednesday evening at San Siro for the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal. Former Rossoneri coach Arrigo Sacchi writes in the Gazzetta dello Sport:
"It wasn’t the best Napoli of the season, but it was enough to overcome an embarrassing Milan defensively and stay in the race for the Scudetto. When you see two defensive mistakes like the ones that led to the goals for Napoli, you want to pull your hair out. How is it possible to position yourself like that? Even in the second half, when I saw a little bit of a reaction, the team seemed disorganized, chaotic. It’s useless; if things don’t work at the beginning, it’s very difficult to fix them along the way. To those who stop me on the street asking what I would do, I always respond like this: 'To achieve great success, you need reliable people.' And with this, I think I have explained the problem of Milan today."
Sacchi added:
"The performance of Inter against Udinese was two-faced. It highlighted a clear superiority in the first part and then, perhaps thinking the game was already done and the result in their pocket, they relaxed and risked a little. I maintain that you must always press hard on the accelerator and never lower your guard, because matches are not over until the referee blows the whistle, and in football, anything can happen, and nothing is impossible. This is why the Nerazzurri should have been more attentive in their management, but it’s understandable to have a moment of relaxation after such a good first half. In half an hour, despite not being in the usual starting lineup, Inter bent their opponent, dominated them, and forced them to play at their pace. The Nerazzurri surely also had the upcoming commitment on Wednesday, the Coppa Italia derby against Milan, on their minds, and this could have affected their performance."
Sacchi continued:
"Now Simone Inzaghi, who has built a fun and very concrete machine, will need to be good at managing the energies: to sustain the demands of the league, Coppa Italia, and Champions League, a careful rotation of players will be necessary. The group is solid, strong, and experienced: in my opinion, they can compete in all competitions. The Treble is not at all an illusion, but a reality to chase. You must keep your nerves steady in this sprint, not let the tension get to you, and, above all, always have the humility to work and the courage to try always and in any case. I repeat a concept I’ve already expressed this season: Inter’s game, when it opens and closes like an accordion, when it attacks on the right and finishes the action on the left, is one of the most effective you can admire on European fields."
