by Dejan Savićević Fri May 02, 2008 11:24 pm
I'm really looking forward to this game. Their is so much at stake for both teams and neither will want to lose and I'd expect both will want to go for the win. I believe we will need all 3 points from this game and no Milanista will want Inter to claim the title at this game. I think we have a good chance of winning and is probably the best time to play Inter considering form.
---------------
It truly is crunch time in the Milan derby this weekend, with Inter looking to seal a third straight Scudetto and the Rossoneri aiming to keep the pressure on fourth-place Fiorentina as they look to secure Champions League football next term.
The San Siro tussle is a feisty affair at the best of times, so you can only imagine what the players are thinking going into arguably the most important game of the season. Local bragging rights are always welcome, but putting a massive dent in their arch-rivals’ season is the prize at stake for the victors.
A few weeks ago it looked like this would have far more riding on it for Inter than the ‘home’ side, as Roberto Mancini’s men were seemingly doing their best to throw the title away. However, after a brief wobble the Nerazzurri have now picked up four victories on the spin to move within touching distance of a hat-trick of Scudetti following Roma’s recent stumble against Livorno. A six-point lead with just three games remaining looks insurmountable, but if anyone can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory then it is certainly Inter.
Milan, meanwhile, looked dead and buried in the race for Champions League football. Carlo Ancelotti’s men lost to Roma, Sampdoria, Atalanta and Juventus in the space of a month to leave their hopes hanging by a thread, but consecutive thumping wins over relegation fodder – Reggina and Livorno – means that they now trail Fiorentina by just two points. With the Viola having UEFA Cup exploits to contend with, there is still everything to play for.
With an injury list that includes Ronaldo, Paolo Maldini – who may have played his last Milan derby if he goes through with his threat to quit at the end of the season – Emerson, Marcos Cafu, Nelson Dida and Serginho, it comes as no surprise to learn that Carletto is keen to keep an unchanged starting XI from the team who overcame Livorno 4-1 courtesy of a Pippo Inzaghi hat-trick.
On the blue and black half of the San Siro, however, expect a couple of changes from Mancio as he opts for experience over youthful exuberance. That means no starting place for Mario Balotelli, with Hernan Crespo expected to be recalled alongside Julio Cruz to take on the side he represented in the 2004-05 season. Marco Materazzi – one of the heroes of last term’s stunning derby win and the match-winner against Cagliari last week – also looks set for a place in the team at the expense of Nicolas Burdisso. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luis Figo, Ivan Cordoba, Walter Samuel and Olivier Dacourt remain injured.
The Nerazzurri have enjoyed an upturn in fortune when it comes to the derby, winning four of the last five after going three years without enjoying success against Milan. The last two matches have finished 2-1, with Inter coming from behind on both occasions. The Rossoneri, however, have generally enjoyed these meetings far more than their neighbours since the turn of the century, racking up two Champions League victories, as well as a record 6-0 success back in 2001. A repeat is unlikely, but neutrals will be hoping to see a similar meeting to last term, when Mancini’s men took a seven-goal thriller which had a bit of everything.
Keep an eye on: Marco Materazzi (Inter) – Derby day is always massive for Matrix and few players show as much passion as him in this clash. He had a big part to play last term with a goal and a red card, so don’t be surprised if he is at the centre of attention once again.
Last season: Milan 3-4 Inter
Form guide: Milan (L W L W W) Inter (D W W W W)
Milan (probable): Kalac; Bonera, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kaka, Seedorf; Inzaghi
Inter (probable): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Chivu, Materazzi, Maxwell; Vieira, Cambiasso, Zanetti, Stankovic; Cruz, Crespo
Home
.
.
.
