“Misfortune for Milan as they struggle in red-hot derby and Champions League semi-final”

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer’s.

Can you really perform in a red-hot derby and a Champions League semi-final when you have been forced to replace your most important attacking piece with Alexis Saelemaekers?

No, demonstrably not.

Okay, now I was being a little mean.

Of course, a young unpolished Belgian should not be solely responsible, or even responsible at all, for the Rossoneri’s derby collapse, where it was rather a collective that did not rise to the level required.

But one still wonders how Stefano Pioli felt when he saw the 23-year-old flitting around on the edge for an hour (and still sometimes doing quite well by Saelemaekers’ standards, it must be said). This at the same time as the team’s biggest offensive star, Rafael Leao, sat injured in the stands in a fashionable outfit and a fisherman’s hat.

One wonders what Stefano Pioli was thinking when Ismael Bennacer, who has been so important both forward and back in his central midfield role during the season, began to limp and was forced to retire after just 18 minutes.

One wonders what Pioli was thinking when it was only the inside of the post that prevented this hyped derby double-header from being all but punctured after just a quarter of an hour.

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But above all, they suffered with the 57-year-old Milan coach, who was forced to try to cook soup on nails before one of the biggest and most important “Derby della Madonninas” that we have ever seen.

Of course there was also a soup. A total, red-black soup.

Dream result for Inter

That Davide Calabria should have done more to stop Edin Dzeko (brilliant by the way) at that corner in the ninth minute is one thing.

But when Henrich Mchitarjan, two minutes later, thundered forward undisturbed through all possible red-black, disjointed team parts and ice-cold placed 0-2, you felt that this could be an overrun.

Or yes, it was an overrun.

The fact that it was probably Milan who were most “satisfied” when the half-time signal went and it was still only 0-2 says most about how the first half looked.

And 0-2 stood, which on paper is still a dream result for Inter to take with them to the return at the same place in just under a week. And it must of course be said that this, still incredibly cup-stable, Simone Inzaghi-led Inter could have won with this effort even against a non-injured Milan.

But 0-2 might not be so bad for Milan either considering what could have been from this effort (with all due respect to Sandro Tonali’s post hit).

For now, at least it’s still alive until next week.

Although perhaps it shouldn’t given how much more organised, experienced, cohesive and better Inter were actually than their rivals on Wednesday night.

No Interisti seems to agree now – but luckily it’s alive right now.

Considering this Helmilanese semi-final matchup in itself is a treat to experience in a 2023 CL final.

Wish Zlatan could experience this from the pitch

Considering how the world of football looks today and where the money is, it is in every way unlikely that we got this Italian classic meeting in a Champions League semi-final. And none of the teams managed to directly scare either Real Madrid or Manchester City ahead of a potential final in a month’s time.

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But this was and is so much more than just two football teams and their qualities.

This was the absolutely magical, tifo-adorned framing at the San Siro that went right through the window. This was the feeling of nostalgia and the joy of seeing red-black against blue-black lined up while the Champions League anthem thundered out of the iconic arena’s old speaker system. This was one of the world’s finest derbies on the grandest of stages.

A match of the utmost dignity that one really wished that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 41, had been able to experience in match uniform from the field instead of in a gray hoodie from the stands.

Unfortunately, there is no possibility that the Swede’s fate will change for the return. But hopefully, in any case, Rafael Leao won’t have to join Zlatan on Tuesday.

At least half of Milan are praying enough that Pioli won’t have to boil nails again anyway.