Inter Milan are the Serie A leaders and Champions League finalists, while AS Roma are simply in second position in the Italian league. This battle will nevertheless witness great stars and suspense, as both sides have their own precious purposes to aim for a win.
AS Roma – How they qualified for the Coppa Italia final
AS Roma started their 2010 Coppa Italia journey with a 3-1 win over Serie B club Triestina at the Stadio Olimpico. On January 26, they beat Catania 1-0 in front of 14,000 fans, before defeating Udinese 2-0 at home in the semifinal’s first leg.
In the second leg, AS Roma lost by a goal to nil, but the Giallorossi still obtained a qualification for the final due to a satisfying aggregate score line. Coincidently, they have also allowed a single goal to enter their net just as the Nerazzurri in the Coppa Italia, yet, they currently have no option but to stand their grounds in order to resist the forces of Inter at the Stadio Olimpico.
Quick Team News
Mirko Vucinic will be anticipating a few goals in his name to finish as the top scorer of the contest. Vucinic presently has 2 goals in the Coppa Italia, and with the assistance of skipper Totti, he could overshadow leader Adrian Mutu of Fiorentina at the top of the goal scoring standings.
Inter Milan – How they qualified for the Coppa Italia final
In the Coppa Italia, Inter Milan got in action for the first time this season in their challenge against Livorno. Unlike the Spanish Copa del Rey, not all rounds in the Coppa Italia are decided on home-and-away legs, and hence, a 1-0 home victory from the Milanese was enough to send Inter through the next stage.
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Then, Juventus turned into Coach Jose Mourinho’s toughest enemy of the competition since his arrival in the Italian club, but somehow, Inter Milan were capable of beating the Old Ladies of Seria A 2-1 after 90 minutes at the San Siro. The semifinal was organized in a two-legged match, and at this stage, Mourinho’s men had to fight Fiorentina. As a result of nothing impressive from Fiorentina’s Gilardino and his teammates, Inter ended their first leg 1-0 at the San Siro. Fiorentina again went down by a loan goal from the Serie A leaders in front of 36,000 fans in the second leg, and consequently, Inter had nothing more to feel proud of than a position in the final of the Coppa Italia.
On Wednesday this week, Inter Milan meet AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in an attempt to destroy their rivals and punish them for the 2-1 defeat they suffered back in March 27 earlier this year. This will be a difficult mission for Coach Mourinho, but if he was clever enough to humble Pep Guardiola’s “unbeatable” army in the Champions League, then he might also use his secret techniques to defeat his challengers in the Italian Cup.
Quick Team News
Inter Milan will be without Brazilian defender Lucio who sustained a muscle strain in his leg, whereas Wesley Sneijder and Pandev are also set to miss the final due to injuries which are still uncured. David Santon is also expected to be left-off the starting line-up since his recovering exercises are yet to be 100% completed.
AS Roma vs Inter Milan – The Referee
Considering the high level of controversy in Italian football, it is unquestionable that the referee appointed for the Coppa Italia will have to oversee the match in a fair manner. Both clubs have had a large amount of stories related to partiality on the part officials this season, and they would not want to see their Coppa Italia final get tarnished by other mistakes from the referee.
An announce came on the official site of Inter Milan, stating that the official appointed for the encounter between Inter Milan and Roma was named Nicola Rizzoli. Nicola, 38, is known for his debatable decision to send off Manchester United defender Rafael in the Champions League’s quarterfinal game between the 2008 winners and Bayern Munich in April this year. Nicola will be assisted by Maggiani and Di Liberatore as linesmen, and Romeo as the final’s fourth official.
AS Roma vs Inter Milan – Head To Head
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Based on the five last results between Inter and Roma, the Nerazzurri have proved to be the much better side, having scored 11 goals against the Romans, and conceded 7. Mourinho’s army even crushed Roma 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in 2008, and below are the recent score lines between the 2 Coppa Italia finalists.
27 Mar 2010: Roma 2-1 Inter Milan
08 Nov 2009: Inter Milan 1-1 Roma
01 Mar 2009: Inter Milan 3-3 Roma
21 Jan 2009: Inter Milan 2-1 Roma
19 Oct 2008: Roma 0-4 Inter Milan
A win for Jose Mourinho against Roma on May 5 could help him win a treble for the third time in his professional career, if ever he went on to steal the Champions League title and the Serie A title. As for AS Roma, a victory would only award them their first and last cup this season, should they lose the league trophy to the Milanese.
Last 5 Roma games
01 May 2010: Parma 1-2 Roma
25 Apr 2010: Roma 1-2 Sampdoria
21 Apr 2010: Udinese 1-0 Roma
18 Apr 2010: Lazio 1-2 Roma
11 Apr 2010: Roma 2-1 Atalanta
Last 5 Inter Milan games
02 May 2010: Lazio 0-2 Inter Milan
28 Apr 2010: Barcelona 1-0 Inter Milan
24 Apr 2010: Inter Milan 3-1 Atalanta
20 Apr 2010: Inter Milan 3-1 Barcelona
16 Apr 2010: Inter Milan 2-0 Juventus
