This draw also symbolizes the end of Inter Milan's 13-match home winning streak. Such records are indeed fleeting, but the joy lies in the fact that the Nerazzurri are just one step away from participating in the Italian Super Cup held at the Bird's Nest on August 6th this summer. Players like Javier Zanetti might regret not being able to exact revenge against AC Milan in the Italian Cup final, but if they can overcome Palermo, Inter will have the chance to achieve their first revenge against the Milanese in the new season at the Bird's Nest. However, Palermo is no easy opponent. Despite having the status of heavy favorites, Leonardo and his team must demonstrate a more determined performance, as seen in their match against Schalke 04, in order to secure the opportunity to face Milan in a blood-thirsty showdown at the Bird's Nest.
"Inter Milan, mission accomplished!" - The Inter Channel summarized the 1-1 draw between the Nerazzurri and Roma at San Siro in such terms. The final score fairly reflected this somewhat repetitive and perfunctory Italian Cup semifinal. Advancing smoothly into the final, ensuring the season isn't entirely fruitless, this is perhaps the most important result for Leonardo and Inter's management, even though the team's performance made fans in the Meazza stands yawn repeatedly, it was enough.
The 1-0 lead secured in the first leg in Rome allowed Leonardo and an injury-plagued Inter Milan to greet Roma's challenge with ease. Although Edmondo Montella confidently claimed before the game that "Roma will not give up on the Italian Cup," everyone knows that what matters most for the Giallorossi and their young coach right now are the remaining two league matches. With Roma currently ranked only sixth in Serie A, they were unlikely to go all out in this game. And indeed, that turned out to be the case. The Roma players who appeared at San Siro seemed to only have Bojan Krkić, who is unlikely to continue wearing the maroon jersey next season, showing any desire to win. Trailing Inter on aggregate, Roma had far fewer shots on goal and tackles in the first half compared to Inter, with only De Rossi's shot from outside the box threatening Inter's goal. They didn't look like a team intent on turning things around.
Compared to their performances in the crucial matches against AC Milan and Schalke 04 in early April, Leonardo's formation and tactics in this game were clearly too conservative. It is true that Inter only needed a draw to advance, but the second leg wasn't without suspense. Young attacking midfielder Coutinho, who scored a stunning free kick in the last league match, and潘德夫 (Pandev) sat on the bench for 90 minutes, while Motta, who has better organizing abilities, only came on late in the game. Throughout the match, only Maicon and Eto'o were involved in organizing the offense... Under the pressure, Leonardo's previously bold tactical thinking did indeed become more restrained, but this change was excessive. If it weren't for Montella's relative inexperience, Roma's intense attack late in the game might have brought a different outcome.
The changes made by Leonardo certainly benefit him and Inter, but judging by his current state, the Brazilian's growth rate still falls short of the standard set by Inter's management. The Nerazzurri under Leonardo still lack a stable champion mentality, and there are still moments of distraction during matches. His use of the substitutes does not have the same reviving effect as Mourinho's. At least for now, Leonardo is still not a mature coach capable of fully controlling Inter Milan. Both Moratti and the fans need Leonardo to reconvince them through the Italian Cup.
But when Roma doesn't want to win, Inter's performance also leaves no room for optimism about winning. In the starting lineup, Leonardo deployed two substitute midfielders, Haljas and Mariga, making his strategic intention clear. There's no need to guess; the young Brazilian coach hoped to maintain the advantage established in the first leg. Former Inter star Di Biagio commented on the starting lineup: "Seeing Leonardo's formation, I believe he prioritized the result. However, given Roma's capabilities, I believe they will cause Inter enough trouble."