Similarities between Inter and Milan Supercoppa exits: ‘Risk calculated badly’

La Gazzetta dello Sport argues that Napoli and Bologna showed more desire than Inter and Milan in the Supercoppa semifinal, while Nerazzurri and Rossoneri ‘calculated risk badly.’

Napoli and Bologna will meet in the Supercoppa Italiana Final on Monday after eliminating Milan and Inter, respectively.

La Gazzetta dello Sport’s deputy editor Stefano Agresti examined Inter and Milan’s defeats finding a common trait in their defeats.

“Who knows whether it was arrogance or a calculated risk? Or maybe it was simply a choice: between an ordinary Serie A match and a Supercoppa semifinal, the league is always more important,” the journalist wrote.

“So, in Riyadh, Luka Modric stayed on the bench one evening, and the other one, Lautaro Martinez, was left out, and it’s probably no coincidence that Milan and Inter were eliminated.

“The teams that reached the final were those who cared more about the objective. Napoli did everything they could to get Lobotka back on his feet, especially for the match against the Rossoneri. Bologna approached the game against the Nerazzurri as it was another date with history.”

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri rested Luka Modric in the semifinal against Napoli, starting Ardon Jashari in the middle of the park, while Pervis Estupinan replaced Davide Bartesagh,i who has become a regular starter at San Siro.

Inter’s Cristian Chivu, on the other hand, initially left Lautaro Martinez, Manuel Akanji and Hakan Calhanoglu on the bench. Calha was coming back from an injury and ended up spending the entire match on the bench, like Akanji.

“For Milan and Inter, the disappointment remains: they missed an opportunity, perhaps out of arrogance, perhaps because they took a calculated risk. Calculated badly,” continued Agresti.

“It was a bout the mindset; if you have to win, you have to stay fully in the game at all times, without pauses or hesitation. Instead, in the first half, Inter played for 74 seconds, they scored, then handed the match over to Bologna.

“Credit goes to Italiano’s team, whose football at times is exhilarating, but the Nerazzurri did their part too. Perhaps they thought they could manage the lead. Then, once they conceded the equaliser, Inter gradually took control of the match and in the second half, they created chances with continuity, above all when Lautaro came on.

“That second half was proof that the Nerazzurri had the tools to put Bologna in trouble; after all, the technical gap between the two teams does exist. They should have played it with a different mindset and their best line-up.”

Monday’s semifinal will be a meeting between the 2024-25 Serie A winners, Napoli, and last season’s Coppa Italia champions, Bologna.