Sacchi believes there is no ‘favourite’ in Coppa Italia derby after ‘fair’ first leg draw | OneFootball

Arrigo Sacchi believes that Inter showed a bit of their superiority during the derby draw last night, but that AC Milan showed why they can be dangerous.

The verdict regarding who will join Bologna (almost certain to qualify after a 3-0 first leg win) in the cup final has been postponed by three weeks to April 23, after the two Milan clubs played out a draw last night.

After a goalless first half the game burst into life after the interval, with Tammy Abraham continuing his positive derby trend by turning and firing a shot inside the far corner. The response was quick though, as Hakan Calhanoglu levelled with a rocket of a shot from distance.

Sacchi published a column in La Gazzetta dello Sport in which he offered some of his thoughts on the derby stalemate last night, the second consecutive 1-1 draw between the sides where Milan led and Inter responded.

“The draw, given what we saw in this first round of the San Siro derby, is a fair result. Now we must prepare for the sparks in the return match in three weeks and, at that point, we will have to see in what physical conditions Inter and Milan will present themselves,” he said.

“It is spring and we must never forget that the difference, in these cases, is often made by muscles and brilliance in the legs. The first half was dominated by balance. Inter tried on a couple of occasions and Milan responded blow for blow.

“I noticed great tactical order, with the Nerazzurri lined up according to the classic 3-5-2 and the Rossoneri who settled into a 4-4-2 in the defensive phase, and I appreciated the attention of the two teams in closing down spaces, in doubling up on marking, in pressing, even if not as frantic as I like.

“Perhaps the pace could have been a little higher, but evidently in the players’ heads there was the thought that this was the first leg of a semi-final, and they had to be careful first of all not to give anything away to their opponents in view of the return leg.

“The Coppa Italia final is at stake, not just any trophy. And, if for Inter this is one of the three objectives still possible, for Milan it is, instead, a sort of lifebelt.

“Winning the cup I am not saying that it would transform a negative season into a positive one, because there have been many and too many mistakes by the Rossoneri (and everyone has made them: players, coaches and managers), but it would give meaning to an entire year. And in any case let’s never forget that achieving a success allows you to write your name in history.

“I expected a very open challenge regarding the result. First of all because the San Siro derby always eludes any prediction, and everything becomes possible, and then because in a one-off match, usually, the technical and athletic differences are not noticed, but rather the competitive spirit, the team spirit, the ability to manage the game.

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“In short, the psychological aspect is fundamental in a derby. So much so that Milan, despite being inferior to Inter as the standings show, out of four matches played against the Nerazzurri this season have won two and drawn as many.

“This means that, on these occasions, the Rossoneri have always been able to eliminate the gap with their opponents and put themselves at their same level, if not in a position of superiority. As evidence of my impression, that Milan is always dangerous in the derby, Abraham’s goal came right at the start of the second half.

“The Rossoneri’s play was beautiful, Inzaghi’s defenders were a bit too static and didn’t attack their opponent. To put everything back in place, and therefore to ensure that balance was the great protagonist of this challenge, here is Calhanoglu’s goal, very beautiful in execution.

“I think the result is fair and I also think that the chances of reaching the final should be divided equally between Inter and Milan. I don’t think we can talk about a favourite. Let’s say: fifty percent Inter and fifty percent Milan.

“It’s not that I don’t want to stick my neck out, the truth is that I can’t imagine how this semi-final derby could end because Inter has more quality, both physical and technical, but Milan have shown on the field that they can contain their rivals.

“In the second half, for example, I appreciated the sacrifice of Leao and Hernandez, two who have not always shone for their runs to help their teammates. It means that the atmosphere of the derby has stimulated them.

“Inzaghi’s Nerazzurri probably would have had a chance to win, especially in the final stages, but I had the impression that they didn’t want to push too hard. Let me explain: the pace, at the end of the match, returned to that of the first half, therefore rather deep, and without accelerations and skids in today’s football it is difficult to put the opponents in difficulty.

“The substitutions did not provide much in terms of athletic resources and, in the long run, it must be admitted that the people of San Siro did not witness an unforgettable show. Perhaps the concern of not giving advantages to the rivals got the better of the desire to attack and to attack.

“It happens and we have to get used to it even if I always hope for a reversal of the trend, greater liveliness during the matches and not too tactical management.”