The UEFA Europa League quarterfinals showdown between AC Milan and Inter Milan is about to take place on the San Siro Road, with the two Italian giants going head-to-head. Both teams are equally strong, and the victory or defeat often depends on the players' performance on the field. Inter suddenly recovered in the sprint stage, while AC Milan showed a downward trend, in such a contrast, Inter is expected to take the lead in scoring, a small -0.5 handicap, favored the upper hand. (Now 643 live at 3am on Thursday)
In this year's UEFA Europa League, the Milan duo have surprised fans with their performances, with the Red and Blacks making it to the quarterfinals after 16 years, and Inter's last semi-final being 13 years ago. Although AC Milan is nominally playing at home, San Siro is also Inter's shared home ground and there is not much difference between the two. Looking back at the last 4 Milan games, Inter have won 3 out of 4, and the confidence of the players has been strengthened by the momentum.
AC Milan knocked out Serie A champions Napoli in the last 8 of the UEFA Europa League and deservedly so, but their recent form has slipped and they have only won 2 of their last 6 matches, especially in the league against underdogs Cremona, which was only a draw, and the consecutive loss of points has caused them to drop out of the top 4 in the Serie A rankings.
They beat Lazio 2-0 in their last strong league match, but ace starter Rafael Llio was injured in the battle and will probably not be able to play tonight, which has a huge impact on the team's offensive ability. Add to that the rumors that coach Pioli may face the risk of being dismissed if the team fails to qualify for next season's UEFA Europa League, and the pressure will undoubtedly be even greater, which may affect the team's play.
