Inter Milan fought back from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw against AC Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash on Wednesday. Second-half goals from Tammy Abraham and Hakan Calhanoglu ensured that the tie remains finely poised ahead of the return leg.
Abraham and Calhanoglu on Target
After a cautious start, AC Milan broke the deadlock early in the second half. Tammy Abraham capitalized on a well-timed pass from Youssouf Fofana to fire a low strike past Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez in the 47th minute.
Inter responded with increased intensity and found their equalizer in the 67th minute when Hakan Calhanoglu unleashed a powerful long-range strike that left Milan’s Mike Maignan with no chance.
Key Moments and Missed Opportunities
Both teams created opportunities throughout the match, with Milan’s Rafael Leao testing Martinez early on and Calhanoglu forcing Maignan into a fine save from a free kick. Just before halftime, Davide Frattesi came close to putting Inter ahead, only for Maignan to deny him with another excellent stop.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan had a golden chance to give Inter the lead late on, but his effort was thwarted. Milan’s Leao nearly stole the win in the dying minutes, sending a shot narrowly wide.
Stakes in the Return Leg
Serie A leaders Inter, who travel to Bayern Munich on Tuesday for their Champions League quarter-final tie, are chasing their first treble in 15 years. Meanwhile, Milan, currently ninth in the league and five points adrift of the European spots, see the Coppa Italia as their best route to continental competition, with the winners earning an automatic place in the Europa League league phase.
Inter, nine-time winners of the competition, last lifted the trophy in 2023, while Milan’s last triumph came in 2003.
Bologna in Command in Other Semi-Final
In the other Coppa Italia semi-final, Bologna took a significant step towards the final with a dominant 3-0 first-leg victory over Empoli on Tuesday.
The second leg of the Milan derby promises to be a thrilling affair as both teams seek a place in the Coppa Italia final.
