AC Milan boost as Rafael Leao set to return for Champions League semi-final second leg

Rossoneri's key man likely to start as they seek to overturn 2-0 deficit against rivals Inter

AC Milan's Rafael Leao trains on May 15, 2023, on the eve of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Inter. AFP

AC Milan hope to welcome back Rafael Leao for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against fierce rivals Inter Milan on Tuesday.

Milan were without star man Leao, who was sidelined with a thigh injury, when they lost the "home" leg 2-0 at San Siro last week.

Without his creative spark, they had only three clear-cut chances against Inter, as Sandro Tonali hit the post and Junior Messias and Brahim Diaz fired shots narrowly wide. Veteran striker Olivier Giroud was isolated up front and barely got a touch as Milan missed Leao's devastating pace.

But Milan manager Stefano Pioli said on Monday: “If today’s training goes OK, Leao will start.”

Winger Leao was named Serie A’s most valuable player when Milan won the Serie A title last year. He was also instrumental when they knocked Napoli out in the quarter-finals.

In contrast to Giroud, Inter’s old stagers were in superb form in the first leg, with Edin Dzeko, 37, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 34, scoring the goals for the Nerazzuri.

“How old am I today? I’m 37 but I feel good and that’s what’s important,” said Dzeko. “I feel fresh maybe because I was rested [against Sassuolo] three days ago.

“But the whole team was fired up. It’s not every year you play a Champions League semi-final and especially a derby. We were focused from the first minute to the last and we were rewarded for that.”

The Bosnian forward became the second-oldest scorer in the Champions League last four when he notched the 400th goal of his career. Mkhitaryan moved into seventh on that list.

AC Milan 0 Inter 2: player ratings

AC MILAN RATINGS: Mike Maignan - 6. Let down by his defence for the Nerazzurri's two early goals but he came up with important saves to deny Dzeko and Brozovic in the second half. Reuters

Davide Calabria - 5. A physical mismatch that was punished when he was tasked with stopping Dzeko on the set piece that led to the away side’s opener. Could only find the side netting with an improvised flick when he was set up by Rade Krunic in the 29th minute. Getty

Simon Kjaer - 6. VAR came to his rescue after the referee had initially pointed to the spot for his foul on Martinez. He improved in the second half and came up with a number of vital blocks. AP

Fikayo Tomori - 5. Part of a Rossoneri defence that was all over the place. Beaten too easily by Dzeko in the 22nd minute. AP

Theo Hernandez - 5. Stopped Barella from troubling Maignan with a good block in the 37th minute. His inability to bomb forward from defence limited the home side’s attack. AP

Rade Krunic - 6. Talked his way into a yellow card on the stroke half time after screaming at the referee for failing to pick up an apparent elbow on him. Improved alongside Tonali in the second half and helped the home side take control of the midfield late in the game. AFP

Sandro Tonali - 7. Was too slow and gave Mkhitaryan too much space and time on the ball to double Nerazzurri's lead. Did well to skip past Mkhitaryan and slice the Rossoneri defence open with a precise pass to Messias in the 50th minute. Hit the post with a first-time effort in the 64th minute. Getty

Alexis Saelemaekers - 6. Easily the most dangerous of AC Milan’s attackers in the first half as his trickery caused problems. His lack of end product was a letdown. AP

Ismael Bennacer - N/A. Forced off early with a knock in the 19th minute. AFP

Brahim Diaz - 6. Clever play to get past Bastoni and find Giroud in the penalty area halfway into the first half. Had Onana worried for a second just after the restart but his shot whistled just wide of the post. Getty

Olivier Giroud - 5. Had a frustrating game due to a lack of service and close attention from the Nerazzurri defence. His biggest contribution was teeing up Tonali for his effort that came off the post. Getty

SUBS: Junior Messias (Bennacer, 19') - 6. Created a decent chance with a cross for Calabria in the 30th minute. He should have at least made Onana work when he was played through on goal in the 50th minute. Getty

Divock Origi (Saelemaekers, 60') - 6. Made an immediate impact by beating Damian at the far post and finding Diaz on the edge of the Inter penalty area. His final balls left a lot to be desired, though. Getty

Malick Thiaw (Kjaer, 59') - 6. Failed to get his desired touch when he was found on the edge of the Inter penalty area. Denied Damian at point-blank range with a block in the 75th minute. Getty

Pierre Kalulu (Calabria, 82') - N/A. Made little impact during his cameo. AP

Tommaso Pobega (Diaz, 82') - N/A. Put Onana to work with a decent effort in the 89th minute. EPA

INTER MILAN RATINGS: Andre Onana - 6. Had a quiet game in goal and was only called into action to make two routine saves. EPA

Matteo Damian - 8. Had a solid game as a third centre-back and impressed when he was switched to left wing-back. Denied a goal by a Messias block in the 74th minute. AP

Francesco Acerbi - 8. Saw his header blocked by Tonali in the sixth minute. Stayed close to Giroud and kept him quiet. AFP

Alessandro Bastoni - 8. Did well in defence and overlapped to good effect on a couple of occasions. Skipped past a couple of red and black shirts before playing Dzeko through on goal in the 52nd minute. AFP

Denzel Dumfries - 7. A typical Dumfries performance that involved him being a prominent presence in attack. Was only a whisker away from meeting Dimarco’s deflected effort in the 34th minute. Reuters

Nicolo Barella - 8. The engine room of Inter's midfield with his incredible work-rate. Couldn’t find the target when he was presented with a half-chance in the 14th minute. Getty

Hakan Calhanoglu - 8. Grabbed the assist for Dzeko’s opener with an inch-perfect corner kick. Struck the post with a first-time effort that left Maignan rooted to the spot in the 14th minute. AP

Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 9. Doubled the Nerazzurri's lead with a well-struck effort past Maignan in the 11th minute. Should have done better with his effort when Calhanoglu’s shot cannoned off the post into his path. Getty

Federico Dimarco - 8. Found Mkhitaryan with an incisive pass infield for Inter's second goal. His runs and cut backs into the Rossoneri penalty area caused problems all game. Reuters

Lautaro Martinez - 6. Went to ground far too easily when he only had Maignan to beat in the 30th minute. Had a couple of half chances but failed to trouble the AC Milan goalkeeper. EPA

Edin Dzeko - 9. Opened the scoring with a volley off the left foot from close range in the seventh minute. Had a chance to make it three in the 52nd minute but he failed to beat Maignan from close range. AP

SUBS: Marcelo Brozovic (Mkhitaryan, 63') - 7. Stung Maignan’s palm with a well-struck left-footed effort in the 69th minute. Tucked in well to help out in defence as the Rossoneri searched for a late goal. AFP

Romelu Lukaku (Dzeko, 70') - N/A. Put his strength to good use as he skipped past two Milan defenders to find Martinez in the penalty area. Getty

Stefan De Vrij (Dimarco, 71') - N/A. Worked hard after coming on to help Inter see out the game. Getty

Jaoquin Correa (Martinez, 78') - N/A. Effective in keeping possession as the away side tried to wind down the time in the second half. AP

Roberto Gagliardini (Calhanoglu, 78') - N/A. Didn’t have much of an influence after coming on. Getty

Dzeko has been on the scoresheet in all three of his semi-final appearances in the Champions League, having registered in both legs of Roma’s 2018 semi-final loss to Liverpool.

The other semi-final this year is between Dzeko's old club Manchester City and Real Madrid, who drew 1-1 in the first leg in Spain on Tuesday.

“I would like to face City in the final. I hope we do,” Dzeko said. “But we’re not thinking so far ahead because the semi-final is a fundamental match in the career of a player.

“The last time I played in one I lost and so I have bad memories even though I scored in both matches.”

Inter are now on the brink of a return to the final of European football's elite competition for the first time since they won the treble of Serie A, the Italian Cup and the Champions League under Jose Mourinho in 2010.

“We know that tomorrow is going to be one of the most important matches in the century-long history of Inter,” said Nerazzuri manager Simone Inzaghi.

"We know how important this game is for us, for our club, for our fans, so we will need to play our best.

"We’re just one step away from a dream that we believed in from August until today."