Simone Inzaghi has underlined the significance of the Champions League semi-final second leg against Milan, claiming that the decider will be ‘one of the most important matches’ in the club’s history.
The Nerazzurri carry a 2-0 advantage into the return fixture at San Siro on Tuesday, having put in an impressive display against Stefano Pioli’s side last Wednesday.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference in Milan on Monday afternoon, Inzaghi did not deny the significance of the European derby, but at the same time insisted that his team are preparing for the clash the same way they would do any other game.
He told the press: “As a coach I treat every game in the same way. Tomorrow we know it’s one of the most important matches in Inter‘s history. Tomorrow we know we have a well-deserved advantage, but we won’t just have to manage it, we’ll have to play the Inter way, knowing that we have a strong team up front.”
Inzaghi was also asked if he ever envisaged being on the cusp of the Champions League final when the Nerazzurri were drawn in a group with Bayern Munich and Barcelona in August.
He replied: “There was a bit of disappointment when the draw came through in August, we hadn’t been very lucky, but at the same time what I said to my staff and the players at the time is that even Barça and Bayern weren’t happy. Tomorrow will be an important step.
“Tomorrow I have no doubts, the supporters have always been with us in the bad times and the good.”
One reporter suggested that Inzaghi should be given more respect for guiding Inter to the semi-final of the competition, as well as reaching the final of the Coppa Italia.
“Thank you,” he replied, before continuing: “Fortunately my team and I read and listen very little, but I know everything that is being written. My great fortune and also that of my staff is that we listen and read little. Sometimes we, as coaches, have to make choices, we do every day. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not. It is our job and that’s what it requires.
“We know we are 90 minutes away from realising our dream. Thanks to them we are in the Italian Cup final. We worked very well during the break, even if we had some players out for the World Cup: we worked very hard at that stage. We were also written off in the league five games ago, but now our thoughts are only on tomorrow.
“We know who we’re going to face, but we also know that we’re in an excellent run of form. We’re ready for a match of this magnitude, we’ve already gone through it with a very strong team like Benfica, even if it wasn’t a derby the result was excellent.”
Inzaghi was also full of praise for Romelu Lukaku, who has enjoyed a decent run of form in the team after what had been an enormously underwhelming first six months of his loan spell from Chelsea.
“You know him, you know what he can do. It’s what we expected during the year, unfortunately something unexpected happened both for him and for Brozovic who took away two indispensable players for many months. But what you see right now is a Lukaku who has approached the last month in the best possible way.”
Kick off at San Siro is scheduled for 20.00 on Tuesday night.