Inter, Barella: With Milan, heart and courage in the derby. Stankovic inspired me.

“It will take heart, courage and strength.” Inter’s Champions League striker Niccolo Barella is eyeing the first-leg derby against AC Milan. “But you also have to understand that it is a football match and therefore anything can happen: many different factors can be decisive. The whole world will be watching this match, and we will all be happy to be on the pitch at that moment.” Two days before the first match of the semi-final, the Nerazzurri midfielder spoke into UEFA’s microphones.

Benfica and Port

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After the two goals he scored against Benfica in the quarter-finals, who knows if Barella might not have been decisive in the goal area against Milan either: “I always try to go up front, you also need a little instinct. Against Benfica I scored two good goals, completely different. But above all they were important for our goal: they helped the team, and that’s the main thing. The defining moment of the Nerazzurri’s European journey was the second leg of their Round of 16 match against Porto,” a draw for strong hearts. We showed that our team spirit is very strong and that we have the will to do something extraordinary together. Going out onto the pitch with a group of players who all have the same goal.” “This is the key to achieving goals we never imagined we could achieve at the start of the season. Inter haven’t reached this point in the competition for many years and you need a strong team spirit to get this far.”

Heroes and heroism

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Inter are now going strong in the league, but for large periods of the season the Nerazzurri have traveled at two speeds: “It’s been a difficult year and a bit strange, with all the ups and downs for me and the team. But I’m glad I still have some energy left for this last part. We worked as a team.” In the Champions League better than in the League, perhaps only for the sensations you get in a certain atmosphere: listening to that music gives you an extra boost. There are matches where you unintentionally put yourself on the line and find the right energy: that’s the Champions League.” Even more so at the San Siro: “When it’s full of fans chanting ‘Champions,’ I catch myself thinking: ‘We are here! “. It’s a strong emotion. You get goosebumps.” The same people who think of the Treble: “It’s nice to see the pictures hanging here at Appiano, or even just to hear the stories of who was there at the time. Stankovic is my inspiration? He made Inter history, and I would like to score great goals like yours. He always caught my eye.” I studied his game: I owe him a lot.