Serpents of Madonnina - Inter Milan vs. AC Milan, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, 2:45 p.m. (ET)An Inter Milan community.2017-12-27T23:46:35+01:00http://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/rss/stream/165834932017-12-27T23:46:35+01:002017-12-27T23:46:35+01:00Late goal sends Inter Milan out of Coppa Italia
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<img alt="AC Milan v FC Internazionale - TIM Cup" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Frve_07rU4R3QKZU1ZFWjSg5tuI=/0x0:2888x1925/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58124521/899054262.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Hakan Calhanoglu of AC Milan (R) competes for the ball with Joao Cancelo of FC Internazionale Milano during the TIM Cup match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 27, 2017 in Milan, Italy. | Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>AC Milan hands <em>Nerazzurri</em> third straight loss, 1-0.</p> <p id="yPBq07">A late goal in extra time doomed <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/">Inter Milan</a> to a 1-0 defeat to <a href="https://acmilan.theoffside.com/">AC Milan</a> in the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia Wednesday.</p>
<p id="cPeXOU">Not only did the loss mark the exit out of cup play, but it was also the <em>Nerazzurri’s</em> third consecutive loss in all competitions. In the month of December, Inter has just two wins in their last six matches. Inter has scored six goals – five of which came in a win over Chievo – while giving up five – three of those coming against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/udinese">Udinese</a>.</p>
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<p id="GABfEK">Patrick Cutrone’s goal in the 104<sup>th</sup> minute sent Inter out of the Coppa and left many questions about the play of the <em>Nerazzurri</em> leading into Saturday’s matchup with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/lazio">Lazio</a>. The win avenges an early 3-2 loss the Rossoneri had against Inter earlier this season.</p>
<p id="SVwiQK">Throughout the game, Inter Milan was pressed on defense, but caused problems with their counter-attack. The biggest problem was the ability to finish crosses on target and maintain possession of the ball.</p>
<p id="RkPHxf">Joao Mario and <span>Antonio Candreva</span> each had opportunities while Ivan Perisic had a first half goal called back due to a questionable offside call on <span>Andrea Ranocchia</span>. For the third consecutive game, <span>Mauro Icardi</span> struggled to find any pace and failed to score – while barely touching the ball for most of the game.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">4 - Mauro Icardi has made only four touches in the first half, at least eight less than any other player on the pitch. Isolated. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilanInter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilanInter</a> <a href="https://t.co/SOWNnt2p10">pic.twitter.com/SOWNnt2p10</a></p>— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/OptaPaolo/status/946118830870401025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a>
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<p id="fconGn">Candreva had a strong opportunity in the 98<sup>th</sup> minute after maneuvering around a pair of Milan defenders, but his shot went right into the hands of Antonio Donnarumma as he had Icardi and Perisic in support.</p>
<p id="IWlgL3">AC Milan had limited opportunities early in extra time as a lone corner in the 100<sup>th</sup> minute yielded a goal kick as a shot on goal went wide of Samir Handanovic.</p>
<p id="zXdsuN">Two minutes later, Icardi seemed to have a good look at the top of the area, but was unable to maintain control of the ball. He poked the ball to Joao Cancelo who managed to put the ball out of play and give AC Milan a goal kick.</p>
<p id="KkaSAX">It was the 104<sup>th</sup> minute that all the mistakes and missed shots came back to haunt the <em>Nerazzurri</em>. </p>
<p id="jCRiG7">Cutrone – who came into the match in the 72<sup>nd</sup> minute -- took a long pass from Suso and pushed the ball right past Handanovic to give the <em>Rossoneri</em> a 1-0 lead.</p>
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<p lang="es" dir="ltr">Cutrone! Milan 1x0 Inter<br><br>(siga: <a href="https://twitter.com/HTE__Sports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HTE__Sports</a>) <a href="https://t.co/88ByoIC9vP">pic.twitter.com/88ByoIC9vP</a></p>— Siga: @HTE__Sports (@gols_HTE) <a href="https://twitter.com/gols_HTE/status/946139376458838018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a>
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<p id="kUJK12">To start the second extra time period, Marcelo Brozovic took a nice ball from Eder and placed it out of play as his attempted cross was too strong.</p>
<p id="jrOz7p">Inter seemed to press harder in the second extra frame as they maintained possession in their offensive half of the field.</p>
<p id="bR9t8x">Icardi had his first – and only – real attempt at the goal in the 114<sup>th</sup> minute when a cross from Eder seemed to find the mark, but Icardi’s header was off target and cleared away.</p>
<p id="EoFeyy">Joao Mario came up with a solid opportunity in the 60<sup>th</sup> minute, but his shot went off the arm of Donnarumma.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joao Mario can't buy a goal for Inter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Inter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Inter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCIM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCIM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoppaItalia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoppaItalia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MilanInter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MilanInter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DerbyMilano?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DerbyMilano</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JoaoMario?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JoaoMario</a> <a href="https://t.co/memFn6XBAf">pic.twitter.com/memFn6XBAf</a></p>— InterYaSkriniar (@InterYaSkriniar) <a href="https://twitter.com/InterYaSkriniar/status/946127404954783744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a>
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<p id="dIPl70">From there, Inter started to attack more on offense and step up the pace from the first half.</p>
<p id="1jfUqQ">In the 63<sup>rd</sup> minute, Matias Vecino attempted a shot from beyond the box, but his attempt went wide.</p>
<p id="WNGWW1">In the 74<sup>th</sup> minute, AC Milan mounted an attack off a set piece, which was knocked back by the Inter defense. That allowed the <em>Nerazzurri</em> to counter-attack until Candreva attempted a cross into the area that deflected back to the <em>Rossoneri</em>.</p>
<p id="5wjMz4">Perisic nearly put Inter on the board in the 81<sup>st</sup> minute with a shot aimed for the lower corner, around Donnarumma, but it was too strong and went over the crossbar. Five minutes later, Perisic threatened Donnarumma again, but his effort was pushed aside and cleared out of play.</p>
<p id="oj3FIc">The <em>Nerazzurri</em> defense continued to hold off pressure from AC Milan. In the 88<sup>th</sup> minute, the <em>Rossoneri</em> mounted an attack led by <span>Giacomo Bonaventura</span>, but Andrea Ranocchia, Milan Skriniar and Cancelo cleared the danger before Samir Handanovic was called into action.</p>
<p id="2MyEkz">From there, Inter seemed plagued by poor passing as AC Milan was able to keep up the pressure thanks to turnovers in the midfield.</p>
<aside id="JvaL16"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Inter drops 1-0 decision at Sassuolo","url":"https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/2017/12/23/16814192/inter-drops-1-0-decision-at-sassuolo"},{"title":"Inter Milan needs shootout to dispatch of Pordenone","url":"https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/2017/12/13/16770100/inter-milan-needs-shootout-to-dispatch-of-pordenone"},{"title":"Recap: Inter hold off Juventus","url":"https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/2017/12/10/16757012/recap-inter-hold-off-juventus"}]}'></div></aside><p id="J63hzw">Inter had its first big chance early in the 24<sup>th</sup> minute when it appeared Perisic placed a cross off the foot of Donnarumma into the back of the net, but the shot was waived off by the video assisted referee after it was determined Ranocchia was offside.</p>
<p id="x7EAIz"><span>Lucas Biglia</span> took a few swipes at goal – including one in the 43<sup>rd</sup> minute – but his later attempt sailed well beyond the arms of Handanovic.</p>
<p id="HC7lVi">The first half closed with a pair of Inter corners that were unable to yield any attack on the net.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="zgbCRG">In the first half, the <em>Nerazzurri</em> held possession for 55% of the half.</p>
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<h2 id="9cEjAJ">Gallery</h2>
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https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/2017/12/27/16823990/late-goal-sends-inter-milan-out-of-coppa-italiaM.A. Clark2017-12-26T22:36:44+01:002017-12-26T22:36:44+01:00Milan vs Inter: Coppa Italia Quarterfinal match preview, ways to watch and live match thread
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<img alt="FC Internazionale v AC Milan - Serie A" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3tZmtgbwkp_RWFVgKxTmKps_U6I=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58112321/861687174.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A fork in the road match awaits. Which way will Inter go? </p> <p id="qbGERj">In 1916, American poet Robert Frost wrote: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” </p>
<p id="2x4Poz">In each of the past few seasons, when Inter have faced a fork in the road, they’ve unfortunately taken the wrong path, faltering in cup competitions and ultimately disappointing in the league table. Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia quarterfinal tie against rivals <a href="https://acmilan.theoffside.com/">AC Milan</a> at the San Siro represents a major fork in the road for Luciano Spalletti’s Inter, who have now gone four matches in all competitions without a win. </p>
<p id="VkEQ3B">The <em>Nerazzurri</em> can either defeat their city rivals and advance to the next round of the Coppa Italia, or lose their third consecutive match and crash out of the competition that represents Inter’s best chance of ending a seven-year trophy drought this season. The former would see Inter rebound from their two losses and regain a bit of momentum as the club face a difficult stretch of league games in January. The later could represent a crushing blow to the psyche of the <em>Nerazzurri’s</em> players and fans, right before difficult matches against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/lazio">Lazio</a>, <a href="https://www.violanation.com/">Fiorentina</a>, and <a href="https://www.chiesaditotti.com/">AS Roma</a>.</p>
<p id="Njuf2o">It would be a massive understatement to say to Wednesday’s match against AC Milan is important. It’s a fork in the road, and Inter need to take the path less traveled. Unlike the Inter of recent seasons, they need to find a way to win and recover the form that saw the club start the season on a 16-match unbeaten run. Losing to AC Milan could escalate a run of poor results and risk spurring a downward spiral, which would threaten to negate almost all the progress Inter have made under Spalletti since August. It would simply be a disaster. </p>
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<img alt="AC Milan v Atalanta BC - Serie A" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TCvL8kfH80CYPKSBBFcQ1gq2hvg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9929823/897657576.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Despite changing managers, AC Milan remain inconsistent under Gennaro Gattuso.</figcaption>
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<p id="L2xiqK">The good news for Inter is that their opponents AC Milan are on an equally troubling run of results. In their six matches under new manager <span>Gennaro Gattuso</span>, the <em>Rossoneri</em> have been very inconsistent, and enter Wednesday’s derby Coppa game on the heels of back-to-back humiliating defeats. Milan most recently lost 3-0 to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/hellas-verona">Hellas Verona</a> and 2-0 at home to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/serie-a/teams/atalanta">Atalanta</a>. The two losses saw Milan fall further in the league table, to 11th place, 16 points behind Inter. </p>
<p id="zJSynX"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/sports/soccer/milan-uefa-champions-league.html">With an uncertain financial future</a>, the pressure is on AC Milan to somehow salvage their season. Ahead of Wednesday’s match, Gattuso said: “It's like playing the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/fifa-womens-world-cup">World Cup</a> final for us. Tomorrow's game can change our season.”</p>
<p id="CzXgab">Despite Inter’s struggles over the past few weeks, Spalletti seemed optimistic in his squad’s ability to rise to the occasions in his pre-match comments to Inter TV, saying: “In <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/kentucky-derby">the derby</a>, it’s normal that the best team wins. You need to find yourself in the right situations and make the most of them. I’m expecting to see a sign because of how I know the guys, I know that they will take on the responsibility that I ask of them.“</p>
<p id="Gxcnv4">With both clubs desperate to recover from their recent defeats, Wednesday’s match is shaping up to be a tense knockout derby. Inter’s <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/2017/10/15/16479618/icardi-hat-trick-gives-inter-derby-win">3-2 victory</a> over Milan in October was decided by tight margins, and with so much at stake for both sides, it’s reasonable to expect Wednesday’s clash to be equally nerve-wracking. </p>
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<img alt="FC Internazionale v AC Milan - Serie A" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/o1w1DxnS5AQZ4p4ncFDPjUui_3c=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9929827/861744738.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Mauro Icardi was the difference when these two sides met earlier in the season. Inter will need another strong match from their captain if they’re to advance to the semifinals.</figcaption>
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<p id="CLmhjt">There may be four and a half months left in the 2017/18 campaign, but this could be the defining match of Inter’s season. Looking back, Wednesday could be the moment that the <em>Nerazzurri</em> faced and overcame adversity to truly turn a corner under Spalletti, or it could be the latest example of where it all went wrong for Inter. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="lVic53">Here’s hoping it’s the former and Inter can return to their winning ways. The alternative, while unfortunately so familiar to Inter fans at this point, would be extremely disappointing. It’s time to get the job done. <em>Forza</em> Inter!</p>
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<h3 id="X1HNRK"> <strong>Match Info</strong>
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<p id="eYRkvL"><strong>Date and Time</strong>: Wednesday, December 27, 2017; 8:45 p.m. CEST (2:45 p.m. on the U.S. East Coast)</p>
<p id="IqElSm"><strong>Location</strong>: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza; Milan, Italy</p>
<p id="EdQkPI"><strong>TV/Streaming</strong>: In the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/united-states"><strong>United States</strong></a>, the game is available on Gol TV, with streaming through fuboTV. In the UK, the match will be shown on Sky Sports Football behind the red button, with steaming through Sky Go. <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/2661440/milan-vs-internazionale/"><strong>Click here</strong></a> to find out where you can watch the match everywhere else in the world.</p>
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<a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/"><strong>Inter Milan</strong></a><strong> Squad</strong> </h3>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"> | Here are the Nerazzurri players called up for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DerbyMilano?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DerbyMilano</a> in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TIMCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TIMCup</a>! <a href="https://t.co/rQ2ca8MZah">pic.twitter.com/rQ2ca8MZah</a></p>— Inter (@Inter_en) <a href="https://twitter.com/Inter_en/status/945686384400052226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a>
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<p id="MGDjVR">This means that both Miranda and <span>Danilo D'Ambrosio</span> will miss Wednesday’s match.</p>
<p id="IogPXJ"><strong>Likely Starting XI</strong>:</p>
<p id="hWDkLe">(4-3-2-1): Handanovic; Cancelo, Skriniar, Ranocchia, Santon; Gagliardini, Vecino; Candreva, Brozovic, Perisic; Icardi </p>
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<p id="h4QObr"><strong>Match Thread Rules</strong></p>
<p id="uCEiKz">There are only three rules: don’t be hateful, don’t disrespect anyone else’s opinion and enjoy the game!</p>
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<p id="N3lkJx"><em>Also, don't forget to follow us on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/SerpentsOfInter"><em><strong>Twitter</strong></em></a><em> and Like us on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/SerpentsOfInter"><em><strong>Facebook</strong></em></a><em> for more updates!</em></p>
<p id="BuYr5A">P.S. From all of us at SoM, we hope you and your families are enjoying a wonderful holiday season!</p>
https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com/2017/12/26/16819200/milan-vs-inter-coppa-italia-match-preview-ways-to-watch-and-live-match-threadTim Kraus