Pro Sports

Inter and Milan draw 0-0 in Italian Cup semifinal 1st leg

Posted March 01, 2022 6:00 am

The Associated Press

AC Milan's Olivier Giroud, left, talks with Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni during an Italian Cup semifinal, first leg, soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press

MILAN (AP) - Inter Milan's miserable month continued when it drew 0-0 against city rival AC Milan in first leg of their Italian Cup semifinal on Tuesday.

Inter has won only one of its past seven matches in all competitions since the start of February. That run has seen the defending Serie A champion fall off the top spot in the league and lose 2-0 at home to Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League matchup.

It was also the fourth straight match in which Inter failed to score. The Nerazzurri have now gone more than 400 minutes without finding the back of the net.

'œWe've had lots of games and we need to rediscover our spark but we're working on it," Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said. "We still have the best attack. Going four matches without scoring obviously creates headlines but we'll soon be scoring again.

'œI think it's only natural for us to drop off a bit now. We were going full throttle in November, December and January. We're not playing as well as we were ... We're trying to recover our physical and mental strength."

Both teams had chances at San Siro and though neither goalkeeper was really troubled, Inter's Samir HandanoviÄ‡ did have to pull off a one-handed save to keep out a Rafael LeÃ£o curler at the start of the second half.

Milan hasn't won the cup in nearly two decades - since 2003 - while Inter hasn't gotten past the semifinals since winning the last of its seven titles in 2011.

The Milan teams drew 1-1 in their first Serie A derby of the season in November, then Olivier Giroud scored twice when Milan beat Inter 2-1 three weeks ago in the league.

Defending champion Juventus visits Fiorentina in the first leg of the other semifinal on Wednesday.

The second-leg matches are scheduled April 20. The final is May 11.

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Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez, left, challenges for the ball with AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori during an Italian Cup semifinal, first leg, soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press

AC Milan's Olivier Giroud, left, is tackled by Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar during an Italian Cup semifinal, first leg, soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press

AC Milan's manager Stefano Pioli shouts during an Italian Cup semifinal, first leg, soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press

Spectaors hold banners that reads 'Peace' prior to he start of an Italian Cup semifinal, first leg, soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press

A giant screen projects 'Peace' prior to he start of an Italian Cup semifinal, first leg, soccer match between AC Milan and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) The Associated Press

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