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The European Cup is approaching its 70th birthday and only one city has produced two clubs who have won it. Not Madrid or Manchester or London. Definitely not Rome or Paris or Berlin, each still awaiting its first, but Milan. Two of the first four winners were AC Milan and Inter. They were two of the four between 2007 and 2010, too. Since then, nothing. As recently as 2015-16, neither was even in Europe. Now they are in the Champions League’s last four, albeit with the caveat that there is a chance neither even finishes in Serie A’s top four. A glamour game this week also has the feel of a throwback fixture. It is the 236th derby di Milano. Four of the previous 235 were in the Champions League: two in the 2005 quarter-finals, two in the 2003 semi-finals. Then Milan were a team with imperial grandeur, with a kind of elegant, aristocratic superiority that meant they didn’t need to run that match. Now manager Stefano Pioli has described Milan as “a project... to invest in young, talented players”. Then it was the natural home of the rich and famous, now Pioli has the youngest team in Serie A. Rewind 20 years and Milan had a relatively young manager, in Carlo Ancelotti, and a side featuring two of his old teammates: at 37, Alessandro Costacurta spent his time pottering about on the halfway line at right-back, as though unaware of the concept of the attacking full-back. He won his fourth Champions League in the final at Old Trafford and got a fifth in 2007, at 41. Paolo Maldini went on to 41, too, having first won the European Cup in the 1980s, playing for Milan for 24 years. There is a forty-something now, but he has a watching brief: Zlatan Ibrahimovic was not registered for the Champions League for the knockout stages. And if he recovered from injury quicker than Milan expected, that omission nevertheless displayed their lack of confidence in their ability to progress beyond the last 16. Ibrahimovic is closer to Maldini and even Costacurta in age than to many of his colleagues. In profile, too: Milan evolved in the 2000s into the natural destination for the big names. At the San Siro, Ancelotti first showed his skill at managing and massaging egos, and not merely owner Silvio Berlusconi’s. The president invariably wanted him to select two strikers; one, Andriy Shevchenko, scored the winning penalty in the 2003 final; another, Hernan Crespo, an oft-forgotten double in the 2005 final defeat; and a third, Filippo Inzaghi, a match-winning double in the 2007 final; his younger brother, current Inter manager Simone, may recall it. The problem in following Berlusconi’s orders was that Milan, with a surfeit of talent, also tended to be well-stocked with No 10s: Rivaldo spent some of the 2002-03 season on the bench, Ronaldinho later spent three seasons at the San Siro, and Kaka won a Ballon d’Or there. Ancelotti had so many playmakers a midfield could include three of four, with Andrea Pirlo anchoring, Clarence Seedorf adding to his collection of Champions Leagues, and Rui Costa providing languid elegance. It was an exaggeration to say the workhorse Gennaro Gattuso had to do the running of four men but he was surrounded by artists. If it was a far cry from the hard-pressing style Arrigo Sacchi had introduced in the late 1980s, the ethos is very different from the modern Milan. The supersized budget is gone. If the greats used to gravitate to Milan, now the search is on for the up-and-coming. Smart scouting involves value for money. The term Galactico was invoked to describe Real Madrid’s stars but, for years, felt equally applicable to Milan’s. Not now. Pierre Kalulu cost €480,000 and has made the second most appearances for them this season. Ismael Bennacer came from relegated Empoli and struck against Napoli in the quarter-finals. Olivier Giroud may be a World Cup winner and a France great but he was picked up for a bargain €1m and was the other scorer against Napoli. Brahim Diaz, borrowed from Real for three seasons, delivered the winner against Tottenham in the last 16. The relatively low-profile Junior Messias, Alexis Saelemaekers, Rade Krunic and Tommaso Pobega help sum up the new Milan. Davide Calabria may follow in the footsteps of Maldini and Franco Baresi by captaining European Cup-winning teams, but he is less celebrated. Charles de Ketelaere is a rare failure in the transfer market but Mike Maignan and Rafael Leao represent coups, match-winners at either end of the pitch. Yet it is notable that even De Ketelaere, the most expensive player in this squad, cost less than Rui Costa did in 2001. The side that started the second leg against Napoli cost around €140m: much less than the combined fees paid for Rui Costa, Inzaghi, Seedorf, Shevchenko and Alessandro Nesta, without even accounting for inflation over the last two decades. If Leao, an injury doubt, does not start on Wednesday, the team of 2023 could be cheaper still. Even if he does, there is far less stardust than in the past. It is AC Milan, but not how we used to know them. But astute business has offered a road back from obscurity. They may prove the least talented, least garlanded Milan team to reach a Champions League final. But the key element is that they may reach a Champions League final. Read More The Milan derby crowns Serie A’s return - but it also means so much more Is AC Milan vs Inter on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Champions League semi-final AC Milan vs Inter predicted line-ups: Team news ahead of Champions League semi-final

Wednesday's football transfer rumours include Man Utd holding talks over Goncalo Ramos, Real Madrid's interest in Richarlison, Bukayo Saka, Nicolo Barella & more.

For the first time in 20 years, Milan’s two biggest clubs meet in the Champions League last four hoping to book their place in the final. A meeting between AC Milan and Inter guarantees a first Italian competitor in the showpiece decider since 2017. The two Lombardy sides have been relatively evenly matched domestically, with the pair currently fourth and fifth in Serie A, and will recognise a major opportunity to return to European football’s biggest stage. The winner of this semi final will face either Real Madrid or Manchester City in Istanbul on 10 June. Here’s everything you need to know. When is AC Milan vs Inter? The first leg of the semi final is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 10 May at their shared San Siro ground in Milan. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on BT Sport 1 with coverage from 7pm. Subscribers can stream the action via the BT Sport app or online player. Team news AC Milan’s Rafael Leao was forced off after just 12 minutes against Lazio, and the forward is a major doubt for this first leg, even if he has hinted that he has avoided serious injury. A late fitness test could decide if Leao is able to feature, but Stefano Pioli’s squad is otherwise in reasonable health. Pioli said Leao would either start the game or not play at all, adding that Belgian winger Alexis Saelemaekers was a potential replacement for Wednesday’s match at the San Siro. “Today he (Leao) trained, tomorrow I will decide what to do,” Pioli told reporters, adding that he was not stressing over the 23-year-old’s fitness. “I’m going to bed quietly tonight, anyway in the morning Rafa and the doctor will tell me his condition. If he is well he will be called up, otherwise not. “If the test is clean he can play. If it is not clean he cannot play -- either from the start or the end. I would have preferred to do it today, but it was not possible.” Simone Inzaghi rotated a little in Inter’s weekend Serie A action, particularly in his forward line, and could opt to start Romelu Lukaku again up front. Danilo D’Ambrosio could be fit to feature, but a shoulder injury is likely to keep Robin Gosens out. Predicted line-ups AC Milan XI: Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic; Diaz, Bennacer, Saelemaekers; Giroud. Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Lukaku. Odds AC Milan win 9/4 Draw 11/5 Inter win 32/21 Prediction A tight first leg leaves the tie in the balance. AC Milan 1-1 Inter Read More ‘Napoli in paradise’: Italian papers react to first title win in 33 years Olivier Giroud ‘more motivated than ever’ as AC Milan chase Champions League win AC Milan vs Inter team news and predicted line-ups Erling Haaland says Manchester City are attacking run-in with right mentality

The fitness of AC Milan star Rafael Leao is the big talking point ahead of the club’s huge Champions League semi-final first leg against city rivals Inter tonight. For the first time in 20 years, Milan’s two biggest clubs meet in the Champions League last four hoping to book their place in the final. But AC Milan will make a late call on Leao’s participation after the Portuguese winger suffered a muscle injury. Leao has been one of Milan’s most influential players this season with 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, but he lasted only 12 minutes of Saturday’s 2-0 win over Lazio before being taken off. “Today he (Leao) trained, tomorrow I will decide what to do,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli told reporters on Tuesday, adding that he was not stressing over the 23-year-old’s fitness. Here’s everything you need to know. When is AC Milan vs Inter? The first leg of the semi final is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 10 May at their shared San Siro ground in Milan. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on BT Sport 1 with coverage from 7pm. Subscribers can stream the action via the BT Sport app or online player. Team news AC Milan’s Rafael Leao was forced off after just 12 minutes against Lazio, and the forward is a major doubt for this first leg, even if he has hinted that he has avoided serious injury. A late fitness test could decide if Leao is able to feature, but Stefano Pioli’s squad is otherwise in reasonable health. Pioli said Leao would either start the game or not play at all, adding that Belgian winger Alexis Saelemaekers was a potential replacement for Wednesday’s match at the San Siro. “Today he (Leao) trained, tomorrow I will decide what to do,” Pioli told reporters, adding that he was not stressing over the 23-year-old’s fitness. “I’m going to bed quietly tonight, anyway in the morning Rafa and the doctor will tell me his condition. If he is well he will be called up, otherwise not. “If the test is clean he can play. If it is not clean he cannot play -- either from the start or the end. I would have preferred to do it today, but it was not possible.” Simone Inzaghi rotated a little in Inter’s weekend Serie A action, particularly in his forward line, and could opt to start Romelu Lukaku again up front. Danilo D’Ambrosio could be fit to feature, but a shoulder injury is likely to keep Robin Gosens out. Predicted line-ups AC Milan XI: Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic; Diaz, Bennacer, Saelemaekers; Giroud. Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Lukaku. Odds AC Milan win 9/4 Draw 11/5 Inter win 32/21 Prediction A tight first leg leaves the tie in the balance. AC Milan 1-1 Inter Read More ‘Napoli in paradise’: Italian papers react to first title win in 33 years Olivier Giroud ‘more motivated than ever’ as AC Milan chase Champions League win Is AC Milan vs Inter on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Erling Haaland says Manchester City are attacking run-in with right mentality

At the training grounds of both Milan clubs this week, the players have been enduring the same feeling that many of their more distinguished predecessors did in 2003. It is one that might run against all of the understandable excitement leading up to a second Champions League semi-final derby between Internazionale and AC Milan. That feeling is that this is not a game to really be enjoyed, or even looked forward to in any way. Then, 20 years ago, Alessandro Costacurta was already one of the most decorated players in football but he felt a tension before that match that he hadn’t ever experienced in his career. Not before his first European Cup final in 1989. Not before the World Cup final in 1994. It was a fear of failure, that the cost of defeat to your greatest rivals was much greater than the value of victory. Little wonder the tie only featured one goal. And these were teams that had far more medals and football status than their successors today. That is what makes the feeling now all the deeper, because the stakes are consequently so much higher. It is not just a precious chance at Champions League glory, with the pride of beating your city rivals. It is that there is no guarantee either will be back next season, or any time soon. This is not Andriy Shevchenko, Javier Zanetti, Hernan Crespo or Fabio Cannavaro, all of whom would have viewed the 2003 tie as the sort of game they should regularly be involved in. Many of these players might not get that opportunity, at least at these clubs. That is just another way the atmosphere around this Milan derby runs contrary to the reality. The very history and setting fosters the sense of the greatest glamour in the game. It was little wonder the San Siro has been described as “the Scala of football”. It was for a long time the home of the greatest stars in the sport, as well as the European Cup itself. With 10 victories between them, the Milan clubs have been champions in 15% of the competition’s 67 seasons so far. Madrid is the only city with more European Cups, at 14, but they are all housed in the Bernabeu. “Right now, Milan is the biggest football city in Europe,” Shevchenko said in 2005, when the two clubs again met for the 2005 quarter-final. It will be difficult for anyone not to feel the same as they approach the famous grey columns and red girders of the San Siro on Wednesday night. The very fact Milan and Inter are meeting again at this stage has similarly fired the argument that Serie A is back. This, a bit like the emotion of the players going into the game, is where it gets complicated. Serie A has clearly made immense strides in the last half-decade, and that from a situation where it was facing a full crisis. It could even be said it is now Europe’s second league behind England. Italy does remain the home of tactical innovation, primarily due to the depth of thinking that comes from the Coverciano coaching school. The starting XIs from the 2002-03 Champions League semi-final second leg AC Milan: Dida, Alessandro Costacurta, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Khaka Kaladze, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Rui Costa, Andriy Shevchenko, Filippo Inzaghi Internazionale: Francesco Toldo; Ivan Cordoba, Marco Materazzi, Fabio Cannavaro, Francesco Coco, Javier Zanetti, Sergio Conceicao, Luigi Di Biagio, Emre Belezoglu, Alvaro Recoba, Hernan Crespo That has played into a refreshing variety of playing styles, that make it stand apart from the homogenous frenetic pressing of the Bundesliga and the increasingly stale possession of La Liga. That variety also corresponds with a new competitive vitality, largely due to the vacuum left by Juventus. Napoli may have run away with the league this season, but they will be the third different champions in three years, with huge unpredictability beneath them. This is the new reality of Italian football, that makes it more compelling. Clubs from quite far down the table can think they have a chance at a title challenge. Hence these two great clubs can reach this grand stage while both struggling to finish in the top four this season. Much of this has been influenced by innovative and influential work at clubs like Atalanta, Sassuolo and Napoli but also a specific type of American owner that wants to do things differently. They have identified an under-appreciated value in football - for want of a better phrase - and feel it can be maximised through the most modern methods. All of these factors have come together to force one of Europe’s most conservative and protective football cultures into a new age. Milan, in winning the Scudetto last season for the first time in 11 years, arguably typify this more than anyone. That comes from a situation where the two clubs had to adapt to a new reality, where they no longer represent the most dominant model in the game. For over 40 years, after all, Milan and Inter were run by a series of emotionally invested industrialists and moguls who could basically outbid anyone in football. It was why, a little like the Premier League now, Serie A could pay wages nobody else could reach. This is what brought so many of the stars that illuminated the atmosphere around that 2003 tie and so many decades of football. It is why, when you think of a Milan derby in the Champions League, you don’t really think of Nicolo Barella or Fikayo Tomori, with respect. You think of so many that came before, from Ronaldo to Marco van Basten. The Premier League has now just gone to a far greater scale, driven by broadcasting revenue and a new strand of ownership attracted by such economic and social capital. The most recognisable of those moguls - Silvio Berlusconi and Massimo Moratti - gradually realised they could not compete in a football market with state ownership like Manchester City’s, so checked out. The problem provoked a debate within the San Siro, where former players like Zvonimar Boban argued about the idea of “a Milan player”, who had to be grand enough to wear the shirt. The modernists within the new club infrastructure insisted it would be wasteful to overspend trying to pay for such players. It is largely this, after all, which has Internazionale in such financial problems now. So, while their rivals will decide on starting a £100m signing like Romelu Lukaku on Wednesday, Milan will instead turn to players such as Rafael Leao who may be worth £100m in the future. They went against the arguments of Boban, and sought the modern route. Analytics would be prioritised to seek undervalued players, and build the future. Inter have been much more about the present, which was never more obvious than when at last winning the league again under a coach like Antonio Conte. It also points to how all of this is just an adaptation to the modern game, which has been pretty much the case with the Champions League this season. One of the only reasons the discussion about Serie A’s prospective return is being had is because of the blind luck of the draw. The three strongest sides left in the competition in City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were all put on one side. All of the Italians left were put on the other. We might not have such a fixture at all with one change. The Milan clubs nevertheless made the best of this. Inter were already developing that kind of dogged momentum that comes with cup runs, personified by Milan Skriniar. Manager Simone Inzaghi has no defined style but knows how to adapt for individual games. Milan have meanwhile decided to define their new era with that modern pressing game, but Stefano Piolo of course had the presence of mind to completely temper it for Napoli. They picked off the new Serie A champions, just as they did in the league. This is a contrast that conditions the tie. Due to their big spending, Inter are more individual-based, with more decisive attacking players. The suggestions are that Inzaghi may go for both Lauturo Martinez and Lukaku, who have the capacity to be a tough challenge for any team. They also have the capacity for games where they do nothing, a problem accentuated by the fact Inter often create so little. They don’t have Milan’s tactical ideology, so are more dependent on rising to the occasion in any given game. It is just as well Inzaghi has so far brought this out in the Champions League. As one figure who has worked with both clubs says, “there is an enormous difference between Inter’s worst performance and their best”. That isn’t seen as the case with Milan, due to a more defined way of playing. That approach means there is always attacking service. Such underlying consistency has driven this Champions League run, and ensured they have overcome poor Serie A form. Many around Milan would also insist that it is also just the “magic” that comes over the club when they play in the Champions League. Back in those glory days of the mid-2000s, some players occasionally put on the famous competition theme to try and get a response in poor league campaigns. “I don’t know what happens to us when we hear the Champions League music,” former CEO Adriano Galliani once said. “We’ll have to ask a psychologist.” Mentality similarly weighs over this tie, but potentially with the opposite effect. It may well suffocate the game. There’s also the fact that, as both clubs have found for the last decade, “magic” can only run against reality for so long. This is what colours the debate over whether Serie A is back. Both clubs know that the wealthiest clubs - most of them coming from the Premier League - are just waiting to pick off their teams. That may happen in Istanbul, after this semi-final. Milan have made it part of their strategy. Inter this summer need it. It points to how both have adapted to the modern game. This semi-final will be a showcase of that, rather than the traditional glamour of Milan the football city. It is why it means all the more, even if it doesn't look like what it was. Read More Is AC Milan vs Inter on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Champions League semi-final On This Day in 2016 – West Ham beat Manchester United in Upton Park farewell We feel unstoppable at home – Jack Grealish eyes Champions League final Perfect moments help Man City and Real Madrid set up thrilling encore

West Ham came from behind to beat Manchester United in the final game to be played at Upton Park on this day in 2016. Headers from Michail Antonio and Winston Reid secured a 3-2 victory for the Hammers as they bade farewell to their home of 112 years ahead of their move to the London Stadium. Diafra Sakho had given the hosts the lead until Anthony Martial put United ahead with a second-half brace. The occasion was marred before kick-off when bottles were thrown at the Manchester United coach as it made its way into the ground. The Metropolitan Police confirmed a police officer and a member of the public were hurt, with the Football Association launching an investigation. Kick-off was delayed by 45 minutes but West Ham were quickly out of the blocks and, although the Red Devils rallied after the break, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic ultimately saw his team win and severely dent United’s hopes of Champions League qualification. “It’s a great night,” Bilic said. “It’s our history and it’s not just a game. It’s against them, (United) it’s fighting for Europe and everything, a late night game – it couldn’t be better. “All the boxes you need to have a special kind of a game, it was tonight. All the boxes were there, Man United, late night, thriller, five goals, so brilliant.” Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal refused to blame the pre-match attack on the club coach as a reason for his side’s defeat. “First of all you cannot prove that (it had an effect),” he said. “It will have an influence but I don’t think we have to look for excuses because we chased the match in the second half and 20 minutes before full-time we are ahead so I don’t think you have to look for that excuse.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Jake Paul and Nate Diaz had a staredown to promote their upcoming fight.

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had a triple-double after making up with Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Michael Porter Jr. sank five 3-pointers to help the Denver Nuggets beat Phoenix 118-102 on Tuesday night in Game 5 to regain the series lead.

Nikola Jokic had a triple-double after making up with Suns owner Mat Ishbia and Michael Porter Jr. sank five 3-pointers to help the Denver Nuggets beat Phoenix 118-102 on Tuesday night in Game 5 to regain the series lead

The Los Angeles Lakers have pushed the Golden State Warriors to the brink ahead of Game 5, taking a 3-1 series lead with wins in Game 3 and 4.Golden State hasn’t gotten much in terms of consistent production outside of Steph Curry, but it’s possible that could change with the team ba...

Former Phoenix Suns general manager Lance Blanks has died at the age of 56

The New York Mets have started the 2023 season nowhere close to where they thought they'd be but these three players deserve a ton of blame for that.When the New York Mets saw that May began with series against the Tigers, Rockies and Reds, they had to be licking their chops. After all, wit...