Supercoppa Italiana Preview: Inter vs Milan – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Kingdom Arena forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering Supercoppa Italiana Final between familiar foes Inter and Milan. It’s just the third time in the competition’s history that the San Siro tenants will clash for the trophy, following the 2011 and 2022 editions.

While Milan emerged victorious in 2011, Inter swept them aside three years ago in a dominant 3-0 triumph in Riyadh. Now back to Saudi Arabia for an unprecedented fourth successive Super Cup title, Simone Inzaghi’s men come into the final in a buoyant mood.

Denzel Dumfries’ second-half double inspired Inter to a clear-cut 2-0 win against Atalanta in their semi-final tie last Thursday, maintaining their rich vein of form. The reigning Serie A champions thrashed the current leaders to make it seven domestic wins in a row.

Virtually unplayable, Inter head into proceedings as favorites to claim a record-equaling ninth Super Cup trophy. However, Milan can draw level with their city rivals at eight with a win. Confidence has soared following a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Juventus.

New manager Sergio Conceicao couldn’t have imagined a better way to start his tenure. His pep talk at halftime saw Milan overturn a slender deficit in five minutes, courtesy of Christian Pulisic’s penalty and Federico Gatti’s own goal.

Match Preview

Inter

Inter’s last defeat against fellow Italian opposition dates back to mid-September. Ominously, Milan were on the other side, preventing the Nerazzurri from becoming the first time in Derby della Madonnina history to win seven consecutive derbies.

Milan won 2-1 to avenge a humiliating 5-1 loss in this corresponding fixture last term. Inter will be out to prove it was just a one-off amid an incredible run of form. Inzaghi’s men have won their last seven domestic outings via multi-goal margins.

Furthermore, six of those seven wins produced a clean sheet, testifying to Inter’s rediscovered defensive solidity after a leaky start to the season. As such, scoring the opening goal could sway the match in Inter’s favor, and they seem well-positioned to do that.

Indeed, they’ve opened the scoring in 17 of their last 19 games across all competitions, starting with a first-minute deadlock-breaker against Udinese in September. It’s also worth noting that just two of Inter’s 13 previous contests have seen both teams on the scoresheet (W11, D1, L1).

Milan

Milan must prove a gutsy win against Juventus wasn’t just a ‘new manager bounce.’ The optimism stems from their pre-tournament form, with the Rossoneri only losing one of their last 13 matches (W8, D4) while conceding one goal or fewer in the most recent five.

However, Milan only scored more than one goal twice in that sequence. Topically, neither goal in the abovementioned win against Juventus came from open play. That’s a potentially ominous sign, considering their recent scoring woes in this match-up.

Before September’s league triumph, Milan had failed to score in four of their six previous meetings with Inter, netting precisely once in the other two. But they’re on a three-game scoring run against their fiercest rivals for the first time since 2021.

Conceicao will likely put his trust in Pulisic. The USMNT forward netted the opening goal in that victory against Inter and initiated Milan’s comeback against Juventus.

Team News

Defensive stalwarts Benjamin Pavard and Francesco Acerbi haven’t made the Super Cup squad as they’re yet to recover from long-term fitness problems. Inter suffered a substantial injury setback against Atalanta, losing standout forward Marcus Thuram to a muscle injury. That means Joaquin Correa or Mehdi Taremi should partner with Lautaro Martinez in attack.

As for Milan, Alessandro Florenzi, Samuel Chuwkueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Noah Okafor are unavailable for selection. Conceicao still hopes to have superstar winger Rafael Leao back from a thigh issue. However, the Portuguese forward would likely start on the bench even if he recovers in time.

Inter vs Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Correa, Martinez.

Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Bennacer; Pulisic, Reijnders, Jimenez; Morata.

Inter vs Milan Prediction

Despite demonstrating fortitude against Juventus, Milan are still a work in progress. In stark contrast, Inter are in formidable form, leaving us no choice but to back them for success.