Inter Milan – Shakhtar Donetsk
Reaching the final of Europa League – that’s the stake when Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk face each other in Dusseldorf. These are 1/2-finals now, so these two teams are just two steps away from the trophy. Let’s take a look.
Inter Milan are aiming to win their first European trophy since 2010 when they won the Champions League. Antonio Conte’s first season at the club showed a lot of promise, but now it could end really good if Inter win this competition. They already showed they are good enough to do it. Now they must prove it.
During the 1/4-finals Inter Milan faced Bayer Leverkusen and eliminated the German side after a 2-1 win. Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku gave the Nerazzurri a really good advantage, while Kai Havertz scored one back for Leverkusen. Sadly for the Germans, Inter defended very well until the end and secured their place at the 1/2-finals.
In most of the time Antonio Conte makes rotations, so maybe we are going to see some on Monday, too. Alexis Sanchez started from the bench against Leverkusen, so he could be a starter against Shakhtar. Eriksen and Skriniar are also options for rotation.
Shakhtar Donetsk look like a really dangerous team at the moment. The Ukrainians showed their talents against Basel in the 1/4-finals when they achieved a crushing 4-1 win. It was a Brazilian fiesta by Shakhtar because four Brazilian players scored the goals. Junior Moraes opened the score, while Taison doubled the lead. Alan Patrick and Dodo totally made the Swiss team give up at the Veltins Arena.
Are Shakhtar good enough to surprise Inter Milan on Monday? They are 1/2-finalists, so obviously they are very good. The Nerazzuri remain favourites, but they will have to work hard to reach the final here.