In the usual ‘Opinions’ column of La Gazzetta dello Sportformer coach Fabio Capello commented on the topic of the day, which is the Italian Supercup final between Inter and Milan, sharing his thoughts on what awaits us tonight at 8 PM CET:
“The derby is always the derby, and if a trophy is on the line, we can only imagine the emotions of tonight’s match. For this reason, never has the prediction been made with more caution, even though the Inter I saw against Atalanta in the semi-final seems above the level of all the other Italian teams, Milan included. I believe that this is the best version of the Nerazzurri since Simone Inzaghi took over the bench, and the words of the coach himself after the match (‘The boys have gone beyond expectations’) confirm it.”
Capello added:
“Of course, Thuram’s absence could be felt. It will increase the burden on Lautaro Martinez, perhaps the only one at Inter not currently in great form, at least in terms of scoring. The captain wasted countless chances against Atalanta, as we all saw, but in terms of performance, he did his part, as always. And I continue to say that as long as a striker gets chances, there’s no need to worry. Today, however, he may need to be more clinical, without the Frenchman as support, and facing the fast Tomori, who has been brought back by Conceição after being on the bench under Fonseca. But Inzaghi has other weapons in his arsenal.”
Capello continued:
“Did you see the work of Dumfries and Dimarco on the wings in the semi-final? Problems for the opponents could come from there as well, in addition to the midfield runs or the long-range shots from Calhanoglu and others. So many solutions. However, I think the real key to the final could be Inter’s pressing. Against Atalanta, it was decisive, almost fierce. While Milan struggled with Juventus’ pressure in the first half. If the Nerazzurri replicate their off-ball work from the semi-final, life will get difficult for the Rossoneri.”
What should Sérgio Conceição do then?
“The Portuguese coach has been at Milan for such a short time that it’s logical to still consider his team ‘experimental.’ However, the second half against Juventus provided some useful indications. For example, Musah has recovered from injury and is ready. In my view, the American could be the player to change the team, he’s impressed me nearly every time I’ve seen him, while Bennacer still doesn’t seem to be at 100% fitness. So, I expect Musah to start, and Leao might be on the bench. Rafa can be an additional weapon to use during the game: for his quality and speed, he’s an amazing addition, provided he is fit. Will it be enough to challenge this Inter for the trophy? As I said, the derby is always a game of its own, often defying the logic of other matches.”
Still on AC Milan and Conceicao, Capello commented:
“And for Milan, coming from behind to beat Juventus in the first match of the new coach’s tenure is certainly an important boost of confidence. They needed it after Fonseca’s dismissal. Against Inter, it will be another test for Conceição. He’ll try to win over his players immediately, but also learn to understand them quickly. Training is crucial, but the match tells you even more about the players you have at your disposal.”
Capello concluded:
“It’s undeniable, however, that Inzaghi has many more certainties. His team is mature, well-drilled, and perfectly organized. And it’s even improving, especially physically. The Inter of today is not the same as the one that lost (deservedly) the league derby when we were still at the start of the season. So, I don’t even know if Milan can rely on replicating their excellent performance from September. But even then, the prediction was still all in favor of the Nerazzurri, with Fonseca already under discussion, and he found the winning move by fielding Morata and Abraham together. Because that’s how derbies are, always ready to surprise us. We were reminded of that by Roma-Lazio last night, weren’t we?”
