Inter are playing for more than just a place in the final of the Coppa Italia in this evening’s match against Juventus.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who suggest that this is a match which the Nerazzurri can’t afford not to win given the need to build momentum in the final stretch of the season.

So far this season has been one in which Inter have had no shortage of great results individually, but also has seen every statement win followed by another frustrating setback not too far behind.

The month-long period that saw Inter lose four and draw one in Serie A was more than just a stumble, in truth, and was more like a full-blown crisis.

Accordingly, between drawing against Benfica to book their place in the Champions League semifinal against AC Milan and getting back to winning ways against Empoli in the league, the Nerazzurri will feel that they’ve gotten some precious oxygen.

However, all that would be thrown out if Inter were to be dumped out of the Coppa Italia in this evening’s semifinal second leg.

The Nerazzurri will need all the confidence and momentum that they can get as they prepare to face the decisive final run-in of the campaign.

There is no longer any room for this to be a season of ups and downs for the Nerazzurri, and the team face the prospect of either ending the season in failure or having the kind of finale that will erase the bad memory of prior results.

Apart from the tough task of clawing their way back into the Serie A top four, Inter will be looking at the cup competitions as a way to give their season meaning.

Failure to reach the final of the Coppa Italia against Juventus would represent not only a missed opportunity to take a big step in the direction of another trophy, but would also be taken as a massive blow to the team’s confidence at a point when the margins aren’t there.