Former AC Milan head coach Arrigo Sacchi has previewed the upcoming derby between Milan and Inter at San Siro, and he believes Stefano Pioli’s men will give everything to stop their rivals celebrating.
The equation is becoming more simple with each passing week. Inter are currently 14 points ahead of Milan, which means that if that gap were to remain heading into the derby, a win would see them lift the Scudetto that day.
However, if the Nerazzurri were to drop points against Udinese or Cagliari in their next two games and the Rossoneri won both of theirs, the trophy lifting would be postponed. They could even clinch the title before the derby, if Milan were to stumble against Lecce or Sassuolo.
Sacchi spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about the upcoming clash on Monday April 22, expressing his belief that his former side can cause Simone Inzaghi’s men some problems and spoil their hopes of winning the title in perhaps the best possible game.
“In Milan you can already feel the air of the derby. There’s no point in denying it: Inter feel they have the Scudetto in their pocket, and objectively it’s difficult to blame them, and the fact of being able to win the title in the super challenge against Milan energises the fans,” he said.
“The Rossoneri people, however, demonstrate that they are not afraid, given that they have exercised the right of first refusal for all tickets: the Diavolo’s spectators do not intend to fail to support Pioli’s team in one of the key matches of the season and, by behaving like this, they reveal themselves to be confident and courageous. Just as the Milan players should be, and I am convinced they will be.
“I have experienced several derbies in Milan and therefore I know from experience that it is always a particularly heartfelt match. It is not only consumed on the pitch, but goes far beyond. In the streets, in the offices, in the bars, everywhere people talk about this event. It’s normal for this to be the case.
“And it will be equally normal to see Pioli’s boys fighting with all their energy to prevent Inter from triumphing right before their eyes. I believe they will give two hundred percent, because it is the environment that pushes them and this is often a decisive factor in matches so full of emotion and passion.
“However, I would like to point out one detail: Milan’s season should not be judged based on the result of the derby. It would be a huge mistake, and it would be an injustice towards the protagonists. I’ll explain.
“Milan are fighting to earn second place in the league: I know that the Rossoneri, due to history, tradition and ambition, should always fight for first, but a placing behind Inter would certainly not be classified as a failure.
“Far from it, especially if we consider the great summer revolution brought about on the market and the consequent difficulties encountered in assembling the group. Furthermore, Milan have not invested as much as Inter or other opponents.
“Therefore, second place should be applauded as a good result. And then there is always the Europa League, a trophy that no Italian club has ever won, and Milan have the chance to do so. It is not an achievement to be overlooked.
“If anything, regarding the derby, we must think about the fact that it comes right after the return match against Roma for the Europa League quarter-finals: here, we must carefully evaluate how much energy has been expended and how to recover it quickly. At the end of the season, physical condition often makes the difference.
“Inter, being out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, have more time to rest and to prepare for the big challenge at San Siro, there is no doubt about this. Thinking about it now, I think I can say that it will be an open game, where anything can really happen.
“The important thing is that the two teams focus on one goal: to entertain people, to put on a show, because we desperately need beauty. Milan have grown a lot recently and this growth is the fruit of Pioli’s work.
“At the beginning of the season he encountered difficulties, because many players came from abroad and had to adapt to Italian football. Furthermore, there were many injuries that affected the journey.
“Now that he has everyone, or almost everyone, and that his methods and ideas have been received, the results are visible. Milan are a team. Not always, okay, but almost always. They have very strong motivations, they have team spirit and they have a style of play.
“They are unable to be consistent for ninety minutes, this is true, but they show they have willand courage: they attack, they try to press (not always at the right times, there is room for improvement), they are never afraid of the opponent, they try to dominate the field.
“Well, if Pioli manages to keep his Milan even more close together, in order to achieve ideal compactness, then they will become truly very strong.
“The defenders are sometimes in difficulty, also because they don’t have the support of the attackers who rarely track back, but Milan has important players in their squad who can make the difference at any time. And it is for this reason that the Rossoneri must confidently aim for second place, the Europa League and also to win the derby.”
