The Snake prepares to swallow the Lake

Inter Milan currently sits atop the Italian pyramid with 78 points, looking down at the rest of the peninsula like they’ve just smelled something particularly unpleasant in the San Siro tunnel. They are the ultimate embodiment of "job done," a team that wins with the clinical indifference of an accountant filing a tax return. Simone Inzaghi has turned this squad into a machine that functions on pure, unadulterated cynicism and enough tactical discipline to make a drill sergeant weep.

Then we have Como. Lovely, scenic, Instagram-friendly Como. Sitting 5th in the table with 58 points, they are the hipster's choice of the season. They’ve got the lake, they’ve got the luxury backers, and they probably have the best post-match appetizers in the country. But the Coppa Italia is rarely won by the team with the most aesthetically pleasing waterfront property. It is usually won by the team that is willing to kick you into the second tier if you dare try a fancy flick in the final third.

Let’s be HONEST: Como is here for a good time, not a long time. While their project is undeniably ambitious, they are walking into a lion’s den where the lions have been on a strict diet of three points and clean sheets. Inter doesn't do "romance." They do results. If Como tries to play out from the back, the Inter press will punish them before they can even mention their proximity to George Clooney’s villa.

Expect Inter to rotate a few tired legs, but even their bench could probably win most European mid-table battles while wearing flip-flops. Como will put up a valiant fight for thirty minutes, realize that chasing Barella is EXHAUSTING, and eventually succumb to the inevitable. It’s the cup, and miracles happen, but usually, the big snake just eats the small fish.

Prediction: 3-0 for Internazionale