Inter Milan vs Juventus - Second Leg of the Coppa Italia Semi Finals Match Preview

If we would ask a probability professor to analyze the chance Inter have to pass this semifinals' round and land in the Coppa Italia final, I think he will estimate it to be approximately on in ten million. Especially if the Bianconeri do not let their guard down and play with their usual winning mentality.

There is no pressure on the Nerazzurri then. Nobody expects them to go out and beat Juve with a goal difference larger than the one they suffered in the first leg, and that could end up being a very good thing for them. Playing with a free mind could help them be more calm and confident, without the customary performance anxiety which often make them commit silly mistakes and therefore dropping points or losing matches -- I won't make no names D'Ambrosio, don't worry. A positive result against Juve, even a useless one, could finally be the starting point of Inter's renaissance in a second half of the season that has been abysmal so far.

Mancini will have to completely reinvent his defensive line because of the unavailability of the inseparable duo Miranda and Murillo, who are both suspended, and he may ask Medel to take a few step back and pair up with Juan Jesus to try to stop Juve's always dangerous strikers. Since the 3-men defense experiment collapsed on Sunday, there is no chance that he'll make the same mistake just 3 days after that, so D'Ambrosio (sigh!) and Nagatomo will probably be the full-backs in this match. Don't be too surprised to see Santon playing in place of one of the two though.

As much as I'd love to see Mancio trying Perisic and Biabiany as side midfielders in a four men midfield to put the most pressure possible on Juve's wing players, there is no realistic chance he will listen to my hopes and he will very probably use his more familiar 4-3-3 formation. I won't be mad though if it means that he doesn't want to make ineffective experiments with his players, but he finally understood that this team need a clear direction to find the light at the end of this tunnel of bad performances.

This match could also be the right occasion to see some younger players on the field, like Gnoukouri and the promising Manaj. Maybe not for the entire game, but it would be great if they will get the chance to play against such an important opponent. Do you remember who was the youngster Mancio succesfully played against Juve in 2008? It was Mario Balotelli, who scored a deuce against the Bianconeri, in a match the Nerazzurri won 3-2. His second goal was a real beauty, but it's also a sad reminder of what he could have become if it wasn't for his childish behavior.

Projected Starting XIs

Inter: Handanovic; D'Ambrosio, Medel, Juan Jesus, Nagatomo; Brozovic, Gnoukouri, Kondogbia; Ljajic, Eder, Perisic.

Juventus: Neto; Padoin, Bonucci, Rugani, Alex Sandro; Sturaro, Hernanes, Asamoah; Pereyra; Morata, Zaza.

How to Watch

TV: Rai Uno (Italy), GoalTV USA