inzaghi.jpg
Getty Images

MILAN -- Some probably expected Inter to win the first leg of their Champions League semifinal at AC Milan on Wednesday, but not many could imagine Simone Inzaghi's side dominating Stefano Pioli's side as they did, winning 2-0. 

For sure, Inter had a big advantage since the Rossoneri's star, Rafael Leao, was not involved in the game after he picked up a groin injury against Lazio over the last weekend. However, Inter showed to be a very strong side and are now halfway through to Istanbul, where on June 10 there will be the 2022-23 final against either Manchester City or Real Madrid.

Inter's numbers have been impressive during the Champions League campaign, but Inzaghi's team had some ups and down in the league as the team is still racing to get into the top four. Strangely enough, Inter's xG is even higher than Napoli, which just won their first Serie A title in 33 years. The Nerazzurri's xG is now 66.38, the best in the league, while Napoli are second in this table with 64.83 xG. This is showing that Inter underperformed a bit when it comes to goals scored, as the Nerazzurri scored 62 goals up to now, while the new Serie A champions scored 70 goals.

Inter's main issue was the defense in the first part of the season when Inzaghi struggled to find his ideal starting eleven and the Nerazzurri conceded too many goals, especially against smaller teams. Looking at the starting eleven now, there is one big change as the club's captain, Samir Handanovic, is now not playing at all, with new signing Andre Onana the starting goalkeeper, especially after some big mistakes that compromised some clashes at the beginning of the year. 

CBS Sports has a brand new daily soccer podcast, covering everything you need to know about the beautiful game. Make sure to give House of Champions a follow for coverage of the biggest games, stories, transfer news with Fabrizio Romano, and everything else going on in the world's most popular sport.


On top of that, two out of three central defenders lost their starting roles. Former starters Stefan de Vrij and Milan Skriniar lost their places for different reasons. Former Lazio's defender Francesco Acerbi became the leading center back in the three-back defense instead of de Vrij, and Matteo Darmian replaced Skriniar in his position after the defender injured his back and also agreed to terms to join PSG in the summer as free agent. The only survivor is Alessandro Bastoni, who is a crucial player for Inzaghi and never lost his place. 

Inter managed to play their first semifinals in thirteen years, as the last one was in 2010 when the Nerazzurri won the competition under Jose Mourinho and are now close to reaching the 2022-23 final as well if they keep the advantage in the second leg. This is an unexpected and extraordinary result for the club and for Simone Inzaghi, who only a few weeks ago was considered in danger of losing his job as Inter lost eleven Serie A matches and looked unlikely to play Champions League soccer next season. Things look definitely better now with the Nerazzurri now back on track in the league and also in the Coppa Italia final against Fiorentina on May 24.

Since he joined the club in 2021, Inzaghi won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana in his first season, won the Supercoppa against against AC Milan this year and can potentially play two other cup finals in the next month. However, his first Serie A season ended in second placed and lost the Scudetto to AC Milan on the last matchday, while this year they are fighting to end up in the top four. This season might become historical or incredibly disappointing in a few weeks, but as of right now, nobody saw this turnaround coming.