This is the moment of true for the AC Milan Women in Coppa Italia. After losing to city rivals Internazionale 2-1 in the semi-final first leg, the rossonere must repeat their outing against the nerazzurre we’ve seen on Serie A Matchday 17 in order to make it to the Cup final for the first time in their history.
Once again, Milan Reports brings to you a very special pre-match analysis, with facts, numbers and a special interview with fans and social influencers from the other side of the fence.
Our guest for today’s pre-match “Knowing you Oponent” is Fabio Alampi, who writes about Inter Women on @Fcin1908it
1 - How do you evaluate Inter's season so far?
“This is not a completely positive season: The team has done well in the Coppa Italia, but we expected a bit more in the league as it’s their second year in Serie A.”
2 - Do you like how the team is playing?
“The team has improved, comparing it from the beginning of the season, despite the suffering from absences due to injuries and Covid. Inter is still struggling to develop, to play an attractive game, but there are definitely improvements.”
3 - What are the strong points of the Nerazzurre? And what, in your opinion, are their weak points?
“The strengths are the "flare-ups" of the attack, which can always create dangers, and the compactness of the group, the girls really help and support each other. The weak points are the defensive phase of the game, and the ability to stay focused throughout the game.”
4 - In your opinion, what would mean for the "Inter Women" project to make it to the Coppa Italia final this season?
“Well, reaching the Italian Cup final would be a further step forward in the project of the Inter women's sector, born only a few years ago, with a young team and with many homegrown talented girls and the youth sector. Doing it against a great team like Milan, in a Derby, would be something even more meaningful for the future.”
5 - Who are the star players of this team? Who should AC Milan keep an eye on in this semi-final?
“Gloria Marinelli is the star of this team. She is a winger, the focal point of the team, fast and good in the attacking phase. Also, they should keep an eye on Caroline Moller, Danish striker, who is in very good form lately.”
Focus on Internazionale’s game
Formation and Starting IX:
Inter’s coach Attilio Sorbi sticks to his 4-3-3 formation, normally composed by:
Marchitelli; Merlo, Debever, Alborghetti, Bartonova; Simonetti, Pandini, Rincón; Tarenzi, Møller, Marinelli.
The road so far:
Internazionale was drawn in the group stage with Lazio and Brescia. They managed to qualify to the quarterfinals after beating Brescia 0-4 and drawing Lazio 3-3. In the first knockout phase, the nerazzure surprisingly won Fiorentina 2-1 in the aggregate (a 2-0 win at the Suning Center and a 1-0 loss at the Franchi).
Last Coppa Italia match:
In their last Coppa Italia showdown, thanks to Moller and Marinelli, Inter beat AC Milan 2-1 at the Sesto San Giovani, and Giacinti scored an important away goal for the rossonere.
Shooting boots missing for Tash:
Natasha Dowie’s first season with AC Milan so far has been outstanding, with 11 goals (2 of the against Inter) and 5 assists (1 of the against Inter) to her name to date. However, the Brit has yet to leave her mark in the Coppa Italia, having played all 5 games without finding the back of the net. This seens to be the perfect time for her to score her maiden goal in the competition.
Queen of the Derby:
All hail Valentina Giacinti, the Queen of the city Derby! Vale has played all the previous 7 matches against Internazionale and scored 8 goals against them. Until now.
Where and When:
The Coppa Italia semi-final second leg take places at the Vismara Sport Center this Saturday, April 24th, at 12:30 PM CEST. The last, and most important, Derby della Madonnina, of this season will be broadcast by SKY, Milan TV, Inter TV and TIMVISION app. Fans outside Italy will be able to watch it in the AC Milan official app.
Image credits: acmilan.com
