The key battles that may decide the Champions League Milan derby

Can Tomori silence Lukaku and will Tonali or Barella take control of the midfield dogfight? Ahead of tonight’s full-blooded Champions League Milan derby, a look at the key battles that may decide the tie

• AC Milan and Inter Milan will square off in a Champions League semi-final derby 
• Both clubs will look to seal a spot in the final and the two legs promise fireworks 
• Here, Mail Sport has taken a look at several crucial battles to keep a close eye on 

The rivalry affectionately christened the ‘Madonnina’ in honour of the glistening statue of the Madonna on top of Milan’s cathedral is no ordinary affair.

Milan has long been personified by its supreme wealth, fashion heritage and sporting history, and rightly so. But above all, pulsing through the veins of a city bursting to the seams with passion and devotion, it is also characterised by a divide.

There is a split right down the middle, separating clubs, players and families. Sibling may turn against sibling, perhaps in gentle jousting or genuine hostility, and lines will be etched into the sand, destined to last a lifetime of glory and heartbreak.

For both AC Milan and Inter Milan, their derby means more than any other. However, there is respect between both factions, with displays of peacocking and their vocal, colourful support inside grounds preferred to any unsightly scraps outside of them.

This year will be no different. These two giants, both of whom had once lost their way, consumed by drift, are reinvigorated and have returned to football’s top table once again. Two legs are all that separate them from a shot at the unthinkable.

AC Milan and Inter Milan will renew their rivalry in the Champions League semi-finals tonight

Fury spilled over during their quarter-final tie in 2005 but respect endures between the clubs

Long gone are the days of bad blood. 

The headline in La Gazzetta dello Sport after the second leg of the full-blooded 2005 Champions League quarter-final declared the showdown the ‘Derby of Shame’. The match had been suspended in the 71st minute and continued, albeit briefly, in vain.

As projectiles rained down from the Inter ultras nestled in the Curva Nord, Rui Costa and Marco Materazzi watched the chaos unfold, delicately balancing on each other. It was a snapshot of unity while the thick, acrid smoke billowed upward. 

That was the derby at its most hostile and tonight, there will be no repeat. Instead, the scrapping will be left to the players. Surely, they will be dreaming of etching yet another chapter into the rich folklore of the behemoths they represent.

And so, ahead of the first leg, Mail Sport has looked at their key match-ups… 

FIKAYO TOMORI VS ROMELU LUKAKU

To say Fikayo Tomori simply settled himself into the culture of AC Milan would be an understatement. Instead, he secured a firm grasp of the language and then set about tweaking his game to better deal with Serie A’s unique tempo and style.

Since joining from Chelsea in 2021, the centre back has caught the eye with an array of domineering, silky displays. He is adept at threading passes through the lines and is an expert at the more old-fashioned elements, such is the quality of his tackling.

Crucially, he also reads the game with aplomb, allowing him to step in and sweep up danger before it is allowed to unfold into a dangerous attack. Simply, the red half of the San Siro is the perfect home for him, and he has rendered himself undroppable.

It is no surprise, then, that he has issued a rallying call to his team-mates, challenging them to write their own history ‘as the new Milan’ ahead of the semi-final. Whatever the shape of the next generation is, he will certainly be a part of it. 

Tonight, he will be faced with the physicality and trickery of Romelu Lukaku. The striker has not made quite the same impression during his second stint at the club, and his future beyond the end of the current campaign remains uncertain.

But there is no doubting his quality. With nine goals from his last 12 games for club and country, the frontman looks back to his old self again. His hold-up play will be key, and Tomori must avoid being dragged too high and allowing runners in behind. 

Mauricio Pochettino, the soon-to-be next Chelsea boss, is thought to be keen to take a closer look at the ace ahead of next season, making this his chance to impress.

Romelu Lukaku is enjoying a purple patch of form and will be crucial in helping Inter progress

Fikayo Tomori has slotted into Milan’s backline seamlessly and his presence will be integral

OLIVIER GIROUD V FRANCESCO ACERBI

After leaving Chelsea for AC Milan following his Champions League triumph in 2021, even Olivier Giroud himself would not have expected to reach another final in the same competition before his old club. Clearly, both have taken different paths. 

To his credit, Giroud has become a mainstay for Milan and will be crucial in their bid for a first triumph in this competition since 2007. Fresh from helping end their 11-year Serie A drought, the target man will be hell bent on defying his doubters again. 

He may not be the most glamorous striker in the sport, but he is certainly blessed with an eye for goal and unparalleled technique. There is a reason he was recently handed a new deal until the end of next season. Age is just a number, after all.

Standing in his way is likely to be Francesco Acerbi, who is enjoying his own renaissance with the other half of Milan. Last time out, he delivered a classy showing in the 2-0 victory over Roma and looks to have slotted neatly into their backline.

Acerbi was integral in shutting out Andrea Belotti at the Stadio Olimpico, helping Inter seal all three points, and has shown no sign of any struggles to mesh with the demands of Simone Inzaghi’s system. This versatility is another string to his bow.  

Giroud’s presence will allow Milan to resort to the direct approach, depending on the quality of their deliveries, meaning Acerbi will have to be strong and steadfast.

Olivier Giroud (left) will find himself up against Francesco Acerbi (right), who is in fine fettle

SANDRO TONALI V NICOLO BARELLA 

Having grown up a hardcore Milan supporter, Sandro Tonali is no stranger to the thrills and spills often thrown up by the Champions League. 

The young midfielder idolised the great Rossoneri side from the 2000s, the outfit that reached the final of the tournament on three occasions and lifted the trophy after two of them. Understandably, he is desperate to replicate their heroics.

He has even snubbed big name interest in the past, with Arsenal said to have weighed up moving for him, and remains laser focused on performing for Milan.

This evening, he will make up a large part of a midfield battle that promises to be both parts intriguing and stylish. These two teams are no strangers to toeing the line between beauty and the beast and this ability to adapt stands both in good stead.

Tonali’s game is modelled around providing balance and covering every blade of grass, while his opposite number, Nicolo Barella, holds a different skillset. Indeed, he is a more creative and influential presence in the final third, sharpening Inter’s blade.

Both players have been ever present this season. Tonali has made 42 appearances to date while Barella holds 45 to his name, underlining their undisputed importance in the context of this looming semi-final showdown and the campaign as a whole. 

Whichever of the two is able to establish a foothold first amid the fire and the fury and keep the metronome ticking may well decide the course of the first leg.

Two stylish midfielders, Sandro Tonali (left) and Nicolo Barella (right) are set to face off 

LAUTARO MARTINEZ V SIMON KJAER

It speaks volumes that Luis Figo, one of the sport’s all-time greats, is tipping Lautaro Martinez to be decisive in the derby. There is no higher compliment for a forward.

Speaking after Inter secured their spot in the final four of the competition, Martinez declared that his club are back where they ‘deserve to be’. They will not simply want to be known as the nearly men, though, and as Figo predicted, he will be crucial.

Martinez is reportedly coveted by a host of elite clubs and it is evident why. He is sharp off the mark and is blessed with searing pace and good footwork. This arsenal allows him to drag defences apart, play through team-mates or go it alone himself. 

When combined with the powerful Lukaku, the duo have formed a neat double act. It will be down to Milan and Stefano Pioli to attempt to break this connection.

Simon Kjaer will aid them with this cause. The hulking centre back resembles the rugged, brutish stalwarts of old and will not shirk from a challenge, especially not against his club’s arch enemy. His ball-playing instincts will also serve them well.

Kjaer has openly admitted he is on the books at his ‘dream’ club. There would be no better way to pay them back than reaching the final at the expense of their nemesis.

Lautaro Martinez (left) has been tipped to decide the tie, but Simon Kjaer will seek to stop him

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