Internazionale vs AC Milan
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Today’s free tip is in the Coppa Italia derby encounter between Internazionale and AC Milan.
I seldom get involved in Milan derbies. That’s not because they’re particularly feisty because, as it goes, these two teams always seem to get one rather well to me. They’re quite happy to swap players, for example. Both of them seem to harbour far more resentment for Juventus, or in Internazionale’s case, AS Roma too. No, it’s usually been because they’ve both been crap over the past few years, to be frank. Good squads on paper, but never any real consistency, and certainly no mettle for big games. Ironically enough, both teams have been terrific for about eighteen months now, and generally look capable of troubling the other.
However, Internazionale are that bit more settled, in my opinion. To be fair, I think that Conte’s had slightly less work to do at the club when compared to that of his opposite number, Pioli. This is because Internazionale have never been shy about spending money, even if it’s not gotten them anywhere for a while. AC Milan, however, have not wanted to spend money until they were taken over so there are still some areas they need to improve when it comes to depth whereas Conte has two players per position.
It’s absentees that makes me want to get involved here too, or rather, absentee. I’m talking about Bennacer, of course. Ibrahimovic draws the praise for his goal-scoring, Donnarumma for his shot-stopping, Leao for his speed, Kessie for his power, and Calhanoglu for his skill – but it’s Bennacer that runs the show. He’s been a real revelation under Pioli, dictating the tempo, capable of just about everything; a real shining example for wonderkid Tonali. The Algerian has been out for a little bit now though, and AC Milan’s control of games has really suffered without him.
Now, Pioli’s a good manager, and his work at Milan has been good enough for them to still win games against inferior teams, even without Bennacer. Note how easily they’ve shipped goals against Juventus and Atalanta Bergamo lately, though. That’s not because they’re inferior to either team, but because they were overpowered in midfield each time. Bennacer is sorely missed in big games, and this AC Milan team lacks depth. Without him, AC Milan don’t crumble but they do get ‘eroded away’ more easily than normal. Even though the Coppa Italia is not high on any club’s list as a prize, I still think Internazionale will want it enough to take advantage of Bennacer’s absence tonight.
Besides, Internazionale look like total winners nowadays. Although Conte has done a lot of terrific work with his team tactically, it’s the transformation of his players into winners that has impressed me the most. It’s not surprised me, mind you – when I saw him manage the Italian national team, I knew he was going to be a special manager. Money has played a part in this squad, but it’s Conte that has gelled it, and Conte that has moulded it. There are still areas to improve, particularly in defence, but even conceding doesn’t faze this team any more – and remember how many years they were bottlers for!
I think it’s fair to say that they’ve got the best attack in Italy now. Juventus have dropped off a shade, and Atalanta Bergamo/AC Milan run them bloody close, but Internazionale are the ones that do it the most regularly, for me. I think they’ll win the title this season because of it. They just need to give that extra ten percent in defending (everybody, not just the defenders) that they seldom struggle to give in attack, and they’ll win more than they have been. This is a seriously good team with a lot of depth and a lot of match-winners. Even a Milanese derby should not faze them tonight.
Internazionale lost their last meeting with AC Milan 2-1 back in October. The timing of this fixture favours them more, and a touch of revenge might just be on the cards. I think it’s an excellent opportunity to get one over on their neighbours, all things considered, and it’s about time Internazionale won some silverware again. I appreciate that Conte is considered ‘unsackable’ by the Italian media, but Italians can be very stubborn, even if it costs them a lot of money, so I believe Conte can be sacked if he doesn’t bring the glory he was brought in to, no matter how good a job he’s clearly doing. Therefore, I think this game will mean a bit more to Internazionale, and the opportunity to face an AC Milan side minus Bennacer should give them a real edge.
Therefore, I’m on the Internazionale win at evens.
Verdict: Internazionale to win at evens.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts. For confidence ratings, you’ll need to go to the members section here.
Australian A-League:
Melbourne Victory vs Perth Glory
Austrian Bundesliga:
Sturm Graz vs Hartberg
Admira Wacker vs Austria Vienna
Rapid Vienna vs St. Polten
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
AS Eupen vs Antwerp
Waasland-Beveren vs KV Mechelen
Royal Excel Mouscron vs RSC Anderlecht
Brazilian Serie A:
Palmeiras vs Vasco da Gama
Atletico Mineiro vs Santos
Croatian Prva Liga:
Lokomotiva Zagreb vs Sibenik
English Premier League:
Crystal Palace vs West Ham United
Newcastle United vs Leeds United
West Bromwich Albion vs Manchester City
Southampton vs Arsenal
German Bundesliga 2:
Erzgebirge Aue vs Würzburger Kickers
Fortuna Dusseldorf vs Hamburger SV
VfL Osnabruck vs Greuther Furth
Eintracht Braunschweig vs Heidenheim
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Hapoel Haifa vs Maccabi Petah Tikva
Beitar Jerusalem vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Italian Coppa Italia:
Internazionale vs AC Milan
Dutch Eredivisie:
PEC Zwolle vs Heracles Almelo
FC Emmen vs PSV Eindhoven
FC Groningen vs ADO Den Haag
Portuguese Liga 1:
Sporting Braga vs Gil Vicente
Boavista vs Sporting Clube de Portugal
Portuguese Liga 2:
Vilafranquense vs Vizela
Academica de Coimbra vs Leixoes Matosinhos
Spanish Copa del Rey:
Real Valladolid vs Levante
Real Betis Balompie vs Real Sociedad
Girona vs Villarreal
Enjoy your free betting tips!