Pioli: Inter is a favourite for some, but we are not afraid. How is Leão?

Derby della Madonnina – the famous clash between the great rivals Inter and AC Milan. This time it will take place in the Champions League semi-finals. What did AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli say before the first duel?

The first duel of the semi-final between Real Madrid and Manchester City is over, the second is ahead. The quality of the clash between Inter and AC Milan is probably a bit lower, but the interest is not.

There is a huge rivalry between the two teams, which is further enhanced by playing in the same stadium. These are two historic teams with great achievements, which, although they have experienced a great decline in the last decade, are now clawing their way back to the top.

AC Milan advanced from second place in a group with Chelsea, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb, knocking out first Tottenham and then Napoli in the play-offs.

Inter had a group of death, having to contend with Bayern and Barcelona in addition to Plzen. However, the Italian side left the Catalans behind and advanced from second place to the knockout stage, where they knocked out first Porto and then Benfica Lisbon.

“We knocked out Tottenham and Napoli, we can knock out anyone. Inter is the favourite for some, but we want to go all the way. We have to take into account that this game is 180 minutes. We are in great form in the Champions League. Now we will try to take one more step to reach the final; it would be amazing,” AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli said at a press conference.

The health of attacking star Rafael Leão is also a big topic. The start of the owner of 13 goals and 11 assists is very uncertain.

“Today he trained individually. Tomorrow he will try to recover and we will see. If he is in the nomination, he could play or even start in the starting lineup. I am calm, the player and the doctors will be the ones to tell me if he will be available. He has unique qualities and in his absence we will have different qualities on the pitch again,” Pioli said at Tuesday’s press conference.

Source: AC Milan