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(CNN) – The semifinals of the 2022/2023 Champions League began this Tuesday, which are one of the most anticipated matches in all of Europe, with a match that showed that the matches in this instance will be extremely close.
Real Madrid, the current champion of the Champions League, and Manchester City, the club that probably plays the best in the entire continent, opened the semifinal instance this Tuesday with fair equality.
The meeting, corresponding to the first leg of their series, was closed and did not have a clear dominator. There were periods in which Madrid had clearer opportunities, while City went all out in front in the last 15 minutes. However, the score reflected the equality of forces seen on the pitch: a 1-1 draw.
Real Madrid 1-1 Man. City: Is there a favorite for the second leg? 2:10
This Wednesday, Milan and Inter will play a spectacular edition of the Milan Derby, also known in Italian as “Derby della Madonnina”.
Inter vs. Milan: schedule and preview
This was the world the last time Inter reached the Champions League semifinals 0:36
Going match:
– May 10, 2023
– San Siro Stadium/Giuseppe Meazza
– Time: 3 pm ET
Game of return:
– May 16, 2023
– San Siro Stadium/Giuseppe Meazza
– Time: 3 pm ET
Both clubs hail from the same Italian city, both share the same iconic stadium, but only one will qualify for the Champions League final.
AC Milan and Inter Milan will meet in the semi-final of Europe’s most prestigious competition, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The first leg this Wednesday promises to paralyze the city of Milan, with both fans among the most passionate in European football.
The two teams last met in the Champions League semi-finals in 2003. (Credit: John Walton/EMPICS/PA/Getty Images)
Those who do not get tickets to see the match at the San Siro stadium will gather in bars and cafes, praying that their team will emerge victorious.
A 100-year-old fan said he would be willing to give up his pension for an Inter win.
“I prayed to God to give me the joy that Inter won, and I hope he agrees,” Enrico Vanzini told Reuters.
“I would do anything (for a win), even (give up) my small pension,” Vanzini continued, saying he would watch the first leg from his retirement home in Padua, Italy.
Meanwhile, Italian soccer journalist Tancredi Palmeri told CNN Sport that there would be no “winners” of the tie, only “survivors.”
If that is true, the survivor will not only prevail over his arch rival, but will also have the opportunity to add another European title to his record.
With seven titles already in their history, AC Milan knows how to win in this competition -only Real Madrid have won more, with 14-, but the last time they lifted the trophy was in 2007, coincidentally with the current Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. taking the reins.
Inter, meanwhile, have won three titles and their latest success dates back to 2010, when José Mourinho’s men beat Bayern Munich in Madrid.
Although the two teams regularly compete in domestic competitions each year, it is the first time in 20 years that two of the world’s best-known clubs will meet in the Champions League semi-finals.
In 2003, AC Milan beat Juventus in the final.
Both clubs have since gone through a period of transition and no longer have the financial power to compete with some of the greats of European football.
Real Madrid 1-1 Man. City: Is there a favorite for the second leg? 2:10
Both managed to reach the semi-finals of the competition and the winner will face a difficult test against either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the final.
Inter probably have the advantage over AC Milan given their recent history, as Simone Inzaghi’s side have won the last two meetings this year, including a 3-0 victory in the Italian Super Cup.
“We will have to be very good at using our heads when we need to because there are always unforeseen events in such important matches: in the last few, we have always been good at being lucid,” Inzaghi told reporters on Tuesday.
“It is a very important game, as other finals have been. It is not a derby, but the derby. We know what it means for us, for the club, for the fans, even for myself. But I am quite serene, I saw the boys very focused”.
The 100-year-old Vanzini gave Inzaghi and the Nerazzurri one more piece of advice before the game: “In the first half, we must not get too tired, everyone must be in their place.”
AC Milan, who were replaced by Napoli as Serie A champions last week, have also struggled with form in the league, slipping to fifth place after winning just three of their last 10 games.
But their coach, Stefano Pioli, affirms that the team is focused on giving the bell one more time.
“We are talking about the Champions League, we have not had ups and downs, but rather an extraordinary run,” Pioli told reporters on Tuesday.
“We want to try to overcome this last step before winning a Champions League final, something that has not happened to all of us. The motivation is maximum.
“It is the most difficult because it is a Champions League semifinal. But it’s also nice to prepare, experiment, play. I have tried to transmit concentration and happiness to the team to experience these moments”.
Manchester City vs. Real Madrid: how did the teams reach the semifinals?
Going match:
– May 9, 2023
– Santiago Bernabeu Stadium
– Scoreboard: 1-1
Game of return:
– May 17, 2023
– Etihad Stadium
– Time: 3 pm ET
CNN’s Aleks Klosok contributed to this article.
The-CNN-Wire
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2023-05-10 14:40:39
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