Tomorrow at 8pm Italian time, in Riyadh, the Inter-Milan derby moves from the Meazza to Saudi Arabia and awards the first trophy of 2025: the Italian Super Cup. The two teams will face each other again after the Serie A derby won by the Rossoneri 1-2 in the final minutes on 22 September, with a goal by Matteo Gabbia in the 89th minute. On Thursday, Inter beat Atalanta 2-0 in the semi-final while on Friday, Milan overturned Juventus from 1-0 to 1-2 in Sérgio Conceição's debut as coach.
"It's my thirteenth derby since I've been in Milan: all matches are different from each other," Simone Inzaghi recalled in the press conference that opened the pre-match activities for the two teams . "There are wonderful matches, like April 22 and the Scudetto or the two Champions League semi-finals, but also the last defeat where we deserved to lose. We will try not to repeat those mistakes." Inzaghi will meet Sérgio Conceição, his teammate at Lazio and already beaten with Inter in the 2022-2023 Champions League round of 16 against Porto: "We spent many moments together, with a great maestro like Eriksson. He is a vertical coach who gives his teams great organization." Marcus Thuram, who left at half-time on Thursday, is in doubt: "Let's see how training goes today, he will try to do it . But when we return we will have six matches in eighteen days: we certainly won't take risks but we will evaluate."
Also with Inzaghi is Inter captain Lautaro Martínez. "It stimulates me a lot, because it is a final and a derby: we know how important this match is, it is the first objective of this year", the words of the striker. "We watched the semi-final in the hotel, Milan did similar things compared to when the old coach Fonseca was there. We will continue to prepare for it by seeing what they do". In Cagliari, eight days ago, Lautaro Martinez found a goal that he had been missing since November 3 but he is certainly not in his best season . "I don't look at the statistics much, more than the goals what matters is that Inter win and that I work for the team. I am happy with the work we have done and we hope to face this match in the best possible way. I have experienced other moments like this, in my opinion this is the worst but I feel that I am returning to my right form and I am calm even if the goal doesn't arrive ".
Milan side, second game on the bench for Sérgio Conceição who arrived last week to replace Paulo Fonseca. The Portuguese coach, who played for Inter from 2001 to 2003, still has a bit of a fever: «I hope the team is better than me», he jokes . «Inzaghi and I are two men of football, we played together and we love each other: he will be my friend before and after the game, during he will be an opponent. Inter is a team accustomed to winning in recent years, with many players who have been playing together for a long time. In the midst of difficulties we must be men, let's not forget that we have one less day of rest and four or five players who are not at their best due to injuries». Among these Rafael Leão: «We have training in the afternoon, let's wait and see. He certainly doesn't have 90 minutes, I will have to manage: in the meantime I have to see if he is available, then understand how long he can play. You will see tomorrow at the end».
One of the great protagonists not only of the last period, but of the entire season of Milan, is Tijjani Reijnders. The Dutch midfielder is having an excellent performance and will try to drag the Rossoneri tomorrow too: «Last year with Pioli, with whom I have always had a good relationship, I played differently while now I have more possibilities to insert myself and shoot», he points out. « For us it will be a great opportunity, for me the first to win a big trophy. It is a chance for us to change things and assert ourselves . The victory against Juventus gave us great confidence and we must start again from this: we must be like a family and the hug at the end of the match demonstrated it».