RIAD (SAUDI ARABIA) – That Inter had become an obsession for Milan was clear enough, with the six consecutive derbies lost. A chain that the Rossoneri broke in September, surprisingly winning a match in which the Nerazzurri were the big favorites. A bit like tomorrow in the Supercup final, all the more reason for Inzaghi to preach maximum attention: “The derby is a special, exciting match, there will be the first trophy up for grabs,” he said in his conference on the eve of the match. “The derby reminds us of wonderful matches like the one on April 22 (when Inter, by winning, won the Scudetto and the second star, ed.), the Supercup final and the Champions League semifinals, but also the last one where we deserved to lose. We will try not to make those mistakes again: they changed coach, but the players are the same and they have quality.” It is precisely the change on the Milan bench that represents the main novelty of the challenge, but at the same time the worst risk for Inter, which knows it is facing a team with nothing to lose and charged up by the success over Juventus. “There has only been one game to analyze, but we know Conceicao’s principles: he plays vertically, gives great organization and never gives up,” Inzaghi explained. “Juve in the semifinals had the game in their hands, then Milan did a great second half and deserved qualification. For us to win would be very important, it would be the fourth in a row. Then in recent years it has more value because before there was only one game, but now winning with close games gives more satisfaction.” Inzaghi will meet Conceicao again, with the ribbon of memories going back to March 14, 2023. Porto-Inter, round of 16 of the Champions League: with the match pinned at 0-0, the Portuguese needed a goal to go into extra time, but the hosts in the second half hit two woodpeckers in two minutes and that’s how it ended. Inzaghi went toward Conceicao to shake his hand, but the other, furious, pulled straight into the locker room: “But no, nothing happened,” Inzaghi downplayed, “there was an eighth heard at stake. We have been so many years together: he has been a partner, we have won so much together, and we had a great teacher like Eriksson who conditioned the direction towards this profession of so many players who became coaches. “To bring home the fourth consecutive Super Cup will need the goals of Lautaro, never so off and far from the best condition as now. In the semifinal against Atalanta he missed numerous chances (“I have been a striker and I know what it means not to score goals, but I see him calm and working well – Inzaghi defended him -. He is playing well even if he cannot score. He is a great captain and he is handling in the best way the armband he inherited.”), and without Thuram (“We will not take risks,” Inzaghi said) it is to him that Inter will entrust the weight of the attack, although the Inter captain tries not to make it an obsession. “At the beginning of the season I was in trouble because I rested little and did not do the preparation as I wanted. I have experienced moments like that, but in my opinion this is the worst – admitted the Argentine -. But I feel that I am getting back in shape, I am calm even if the goal is not coming: there are other teammates who are scoring. Inter has to win and the only thing that matters is this. I am very pleased that teammates want me to score because they also recognize the work one does for the team.” At stake is a cup that Inter wants to make its own, taking advantage of the challenge with Milan also to make up for the derby lost in September: “It stimulates me so much because it’s a final,” Lautaro said, “because it’s a derby and we know how important it is. It’s the first trophy, the first goal of the year. Milan is the only team that beat us in the league, so it will be a good challenge for us: we will prepare it to bring the trophy home. Was I surprised by Milan’s victory with Juve? We watched the match in the hotel: there are similar things they were doing with Fonseca, maybe because they had little time to prepare it. Juve was winning, but if you don’t close it an episode changes everything. We have to prepare with our heads, the details make the difference.”
– Photo: Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
