Former Inter and AC Milan striker Christian Vieri believes it is the Nerazzurri who should be the most confident and are the favourites heading into the Champions League derby.
The magnitude of the occasion is not lost on anyone as Inter and Milan will play each other in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third time in their history, with the previous occasions coming in 2002-03 and 2004-05.
The Rossoneri prevailed on both occasions, going on to win the 2003 final against Juventus at Old Trafford, but an awful lot of time has passed since then and the feeling is that the upcoming tie is hard to call.
Vieri played for Inter from 1999 to 2005 so he knows all about the biggest derby occasions, and he spoke during an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the match.
“Today I walk around the city and feel the electric air, of course, but then more: there was an almost crazy wait. And I have to watch,” he began.
The biggest regret of your career?
“And what ranking is it? And the 2006 World Cup? And May 5th? I’ve always split in two, for Inter, for the national team, for all the teams I’ve played for: suffering is not comparable.”
How did you suffer?
“Sweating like a donkey. On April 22 in Valencia Carew and Materazzi fell on me, I heard crack, my knee was smashed. I spent the evening and the night crying, then from the next morning Silvano Cotti and I [the man who looked after the recovery of injuries] stayed seven days a week, from eight to eight, working for try to recover.
“I did everything, but I knew it was useless: I tried thinking about the final, maybe to at least go on the bench…”
But there was no final for Inter…
“The cursed rule of away goals, they did well to get rid of it. They should have done it twenty years ago, then we would have gone to penalties”.
They were two very tense games, let’s even say ugly ones…
“No doubt, ugly. Great tension, but the beautiful one. Too much? Boh, everyone feels it and manages it in their own way. But otherwise what are you playing for the Champions League? We need games like this every year, we play football for that.
“You know you can wait for a rebound, an uncalled foul, something that’s good for you and bad for others. That the final could also depend on a small thing.”
Will it be like this again?
“More or less… It’s those matches where you take one step forward and two steps back, you try to attack but thinking about not conceding goals on the counter-attack. Football has changed in these twenty years, but between two Italians it is like this: a non-Italian opponent attacks you more, comes to take you more.”
Does this year’s derby score – 2-1 in favour of Inter in wins – weigh at all?
“Zero. And if you think they’re hurting you, it’s time you take the ‘blaze’.”
And does the history of Milan, which beat four Italian teams in the Champions League, weigh?
“The story belongs to the club, not to the players who are there now: his was true in my day, back then it really mattered…”
On paper, Inter are doing better in these derbies: can we say that?
“And let’s say it. Three games, nine points, 11 goals scored. But will Milan be the one that was about to lose against Cremonese or that won easily against Lazio?
“Inter are better off above all because they have the strongest squad of all, starting with the attack: in theory they can’t lose to anyone. Does that mean Inter will go through? I don’t know: I don’t like idioms, but derbies are really a lottery.”
Can the Inter attack or their bench have more impact?
“Eh, that also has a lot of influence and Inter have Lukaku and Brozovic sitting if they don’t start, Correa, De Vrij, for the return Gosens… Longer and stronger, very high quality.”
Inzaghi’s attacking pairings: Correa-Lukaku and Lautaro-Dzeko, the most probable for the first derby. Even if Lukaku has scored in all five derbies that he has played as a starter….
“These are the accounts you keep… I’m only saying lucky Inzaghi who can afford these rotations: Pioli cannot. But it seems to me that Lukaku is putting a fair amount of pressure on him.”
Lautaro scored 7 goals for Milan in 12 games: derby animal?
“Animal because he is the strongest of all: the only doubt that Inzaghi must not have.”
And the Leao doubt? How much would Milan lose without him or with him not at his best?
“50%, more or less. A lot, anyway. He and Theo are the ones who give the necessary breaks, especially in games like this. The one that alone changes the games.”
Did he and Lautaro make the definitive leap in their careers this year?
“The facts speak for Lautaro. Won the World Cup and 23 goals scored in the Italian season: whatever he played for, he also scored. Leao has been more fluctuating, but lately he has given what is expected of him. The jump will be done in all matches: he will do it.”
As a former centre-forward, would it be more annoying to be marked by Kjaer, Tomori or Kalulu?
“Bothersome? For them, maybe… All three are annoying, come on.”
Theo Hernandez-Dimarco: who whizzes more to the left?
“In terms of strength, physical dominance, Theo is superior. But Dimarco, with that foot there, would have made me score one goal per game.”
Tonali-Barella: in the heart of the field a beautiful all-Italian challenge…
«Quality, work rate and the most important thing: they are the souls of the two teams.”
Do you think Milan regret letting Calhanoglu go?
“I never use the if: the if doesn’t exist, it’s an excuse. And when you make a choice, it no longer makes sense to think about it.”
Is that the secret of your friend Paolo Maldini?
The ‘captain’ is different from the others because he is very close to them: little talk, he works, he demonstrates. And even without a budget he is demonstrating: Scudetto, Champions League semi-final.”
Maignan or Onana, who is the most decisive for their team?
“Their weight is the same, because they bring home points. But in Maignan in these two years I’ve seen crazy things, incredible.”
Real Madrid and Manchester City will contest the other semi-final, does whoever goes to the final between Milan and Inter have any hope?
“A one-off game, anything can happen. Especially in the Champions League.”
In your opinion, who will your friend Pippo Inzaghi be rooting for these days?
“For Milan, and rightly so: he played there for more than ten years. But surely, if Inter go to the final, he will say: did I choose Milan? Ok, I’m sorry, but at least my brother got there…”
