MILAN – The rivalry between Inter Milan and AC Milan will ignite five times this season, promising intense clashes on the football field. Inter Milan secured a spot in the two-legged Italian Cup semifinals with a decisive 2-0 victory over Lazio on Tuesday, setting the stage for yet another face-off against their city rivals, AC Milan.
The first goal came from Mark Arnautovic, who delivered an impressive long-range volley late in the first half at the San Siro. The victory was sealed when Hakan Calhanoglu netted a second-half penalty, further asserting Inter’s dominance in the match.
Earlier in the season, Milan triumphed over Roma with a 3-1 win. The two Milan clubs have already met thrice this season—twice in Serie A, where Milan claimed a victory in the first encounter and shared points in a draw during the second meet, and in the Italian Super Cup final held in Saudi Arabia, which was won by Milan.
In the other bracket of the competition, Bologna awaits the outcome of Wednesday’s clash between Juventus and Empoli to determine their next opponent in the semifinal.
Arnautovic, who does not often get the nod to start, stepped up in place of the rested Lautaro Martinez. This decision was strategic, with an eye towards preserving key players for Inter’s upcoming Serie A match against Napoli, slated to take place on Saturday, where Inter aims to overturn a 1-2 scoreline from their previous encounter.
