AC Milan v Inter Milan LIVE - Derby della Madonnina in the Champions League semi-finals

Inter almost get a third as Calhanoglu eyes up a loose ball and hits a fierce strike from 30 yards which rattles the post. Maignan was beaten.

More bad news for Milan, with Bennacer continued involvement in doubt.

They have a corner, but a lot to do. Two players go down as Tonali sends the ball in, but the referee is not interested.

Dimarco makes up good ground on the left then plays an inside ball which is dummied to run to Mkhitaryan. It opens up for the Armenian, who surges into the box before slotting past Maignan. Inter in dreamland.

The free kick turns into a corner and from that Inter open the scoring! Dzeko volleys an in-swinger into the roof of the net as Calabria tries and fails to muscle him out of the way. A super finish.

Dzeko gets his first chance to take on Tomori and draws a foul 10 yards inside the opposition half.

Neither team have kept the ball well in the early going.

The game begins amid a frenzied atmosphere.

The Champions League anthem, the tracksuit tops come off in played and kick-off is now imminent.

Inter have won the last two matches between these two, a 1-0 league win in February and a 3-0 triumph in the Supercoppa Italiana the month prior. Martinez scored in both matches.

Their first meeting of the campaign, way back in September, ended 3-2 in favour of Milan, with a Leao brace proving decisive.

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi believes recent games between these two may offer "important indications" about what lies ahead. But to be successful, his players "will need both our heads and our hearts".

"We've played several derbies, we've won some and lost some, the derbies we've played give important indications, but at the same time every match is different," Inzaghi said. "There will be times when Inter will be more offensive or more defensive, great sacrifice will be needed, giving your all for your team-mates will be fundamental."

Milan are undefeated in their last nine games across all competitions.

The winners of this tie will face either Manchester City or reigning champions Real Madrid in the final. That semi-final is evenly poised following a draw in the Spanish capital last night.

The Milanese rivals are next to one another in the Serie A table - Inter are fourth and Milan are two points and one place back, outside of the Champions League spots. Both are fresh from a big win over a club from the capital too, with Inter winning 2-0 away at Roma and Milan seeing off Lazio by the same scoreline.

The city of Milan has won the Champions League 10 times - only Madrid has won more European titles.

Pioli made reference to Inter being favoured by some and Eurosport Italy's Davide Bighiani is one person who sees it that way.

"In our opinion, Inter are slight favourites (51-49), only because the Nerazzurri have to avenge their exit 20 years ago and second place in last year's Scudetto," is the verdict.

A full breakdown of the sides and why their domestic form has not been as good as European form is available below.

"We've knocked out Tottenham and Napoli; we can knock anybody out," insisted Milan manager Stefano Piolo before this tie.

"Inter are the favourites for some, but we want to give it a good go. We need to take into account that this tie is played over 180 minutes. We've been in great form in the Champions League."

Reaching the final would be "amazing", Piolo said, before adding an "electric" atmosphere is expected tonight.

Milan are unbeaten in four previous continental matches between these two, winning two and drawing two. When they clashed in the 2002-03 semi-finals, Milan went through on away goals.

In the 2004-05 quarter-finals, Milan were 3-0 up on aggregate when a cascade of flares led to the tie being abandoned - and set the scene for one of football's most iconic images.

Lautaro Martinez was a substitute at the weekend, but comes into the Inter starting line-up in place of compatriot Joaquin Correa. He'll join Edin Dzeko up front, with Romelu Lukaku omitted. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Marcelo Brozovic in the only other change but Brozovic, Lukaku and Correa are all on the bench.

Inter Milan: Onana, Dunfries, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Martinez, Dzeko.

Leao was a major fitness doubt for Milan and indeed misses out entirely. A big blow.

Brahim Diaz is fit, however, and comes into the side as one of two changes. Alexis Saelemaekers is the other new face, so he and Diaz will flank Olivier Giroud. It's the same back five which limited Napoli to just a consolation goal across two legs in the quarter-finals.

AC Milan: Maignan, Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez, Tonali, Krunic, Bennacer, Saelemaekers, Diaz, Giroud.

Welcome to LIVE coverage of the first leg of a Derby della Madonnina in the Champions League semi-finals. AC Milan and Inter Milan share a stadium and tonight they will share the pitch as another chapter in this storied rivalry is written. Team news, including whether Rafael Leao is fit enough to feature for the nominal home side, is coming up next.