Inter coach Leonardo will affront AC Milan for the first time in his career with fans counting on his tones of knowledge about the Rossoneri to play the trick. But how will Milan protect themselves on Saturday without ex-Internazionale striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Live Soccer TV wonders if the absence of the suspended forward will negatively affect AC Milan.
AC Milan vs Internazionale Puts Leonardo In The Cooking Pot...
From the grass, to the desk, to the training camps... Leonardo knows so much about AC Milan after being there as a player, a director and a head-coach. On Saturday, the Brazilian will become one of the many people who experienced a renegade through the Derby della Madonnina. Indeed, Leonardo’s memories of his career with the Rossoneri may fill up many pages if written down in details. But how will they weight when AC Milan and Internazionale will clash at the San Siro this weekend?
Coach Leonardo has helped Inter make a revival since replacing Rafael Benitez. Remarkably, the Nerazzurri are now just 2 points behind their local rivals and they stand a wonderful chance of taking control of the Serie A’s top spot at the end of match-day 31. Leonardo’s task, now, is to avoid falling 5 points behind Milan as this would all but end Inter’s hopes of clinching the Scudetto. In the meantime, the Rossoneri’s momentum has dramatically been boosted by their desire to punish Leonardo for his “act of betrayal”.
“I think his switch to Inter has disappointed many Milan fans. Some of my team-mates were also hurt by the decision,” said goalkeeper Abbiati according to Sky Italia. However, not all Milan players are as emotional as Abbiati who avowed that Leonardo’s Nerazzurri transformation left him “perplexed”. At least, this is what Marco Amelia explained when he spoke to Sky Sport, saying:
“In the dressing rooms, there is some indifference in regards to Leonardo. I can say that several of my team mates are keen to beat him.”
... But Ibrahimovic Might Have Put AC Milan In A Mess Too
So the desire is there within the Rossoneri. But do they possess the power as well without former Inter player Ibrahimovic? The Swede has been forced to miss Saturday’s AC Milan vs Internazionale encounter as he needs to complete his sentence for violent conduct.
Actually, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was hit by a 3-match ban – which has now been reduced to a 2-match ban – after slapping Bari’s Marco Rossi a bit more than 2 weeks ago. So on Saturday, the Milan striker will not be on the field of play.
What a shame for Ibra who successfully punished his old club in November 2010 with a lone strike which earned Milan a vital victory! Call that a self-destruction of his opportunity to feature in the Derby della Madonnina.
Well, whatever it is, AC Milan will be looking to tame Leonardo and his Nerazzurri men. But how? It’s time for the Rossoneri to once again prove that they are not a one-man team. They need to believe that they can create wonders without the man that has scored 14 goals and made 11 assists in 25 Serie A matches so far. Simply, they must avoid letting Ibrahimovic’s loss become Internazionale and Leonardo’s gain.
