Inter forward Edin Džeko on the Champions League Milan derby and what makes the Nerazzurri special – interview

Having won a Bundesliga title with Wolfsburg and three editions of the Premier League with Manchester City, striker Edin Džeko is a master of staying cool under pressure, but as his Inter side take on neighbours Milan in the UEFA Champions League semi-final, his nerves will doubtless be tested.

At 37, Džeko continues to perform at the highest level, despite competition for a striking berth in this Inter side from the likes of Joaquín Correa, Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez. His side are still in contention to win a second successive Coppa Italia, but Champions League success also remains on the agenda for Džeko, who despite his experience at this level has yet to win a major European trophy.

On the semi-final derby against Milan

How do I feel? Quiet. I feel calm. They will be two spectacular matches. Italy and the city of Milan in particular should be proud of having two clubs from the same city playing in the Champions League semi-final. Milan has both clubs in the final four. There's a lot at stake, playing in the final in Istanbul would be incredible.

Derbies have things in common. Maybe in Manchester I didn't feel it as much as I feel it here in Italy. Roma against Lazio, plus Milan against Inter are important matches. People talk about them before and after the actual matches. Italian fans consider it more important to win a derby than any other league match, especially in Rome, but also here in Milan. These matches are very different, as there is no real favourite. It doesn't matter if one club is stronger or weaker. Derbies are one-off games; both teams give everything they have. This is what we will see in these two matches.

On a dramatic finale to the season

We are going to have a lot of games within a very short space of time. In May alone, I think we have eight games. Each game is going to be more alluring than the previous one. We play Milan twice, then we have the cup final against Fiorentina, then we play in Naples. We also play against Atalanta at home, then against Roma at the [Stadio] Olimpico, so a lot of nice games. They are all quite close together, but we have the squad to do it.

Is it nice to still have these things to look forward to at 37? Yeah, sure, especially when you get to play in amazing games in the Champions League or in a [Coppa Italia] semi-final against Juve[ntus] to give yourselves a chance of winning a final and getting your hands on a trophy. They are matches that are easy to prepare for; but even now, being 37, there are lots of strong emotions.

On what makes Inter special

This is my second year at Inter and we have already won three trophies. We are in the Coppa Italia final again, having won it last year. The only regret is that last year we didn't win the league, and this year, we know we won't be able to as well. On the other hand, we are in the Champions League semi-final; Inter haven't been there for a long time. These two seasons have definitely been positive, and I am really very happy to be here.

We have always stuck together, even during bad times, but mostly in good times when we've been able to celebrate, win games. But the group is amazing, and it's always focused. Sometimes we lose, but when we get to this point of the league season or when there is just a month and a half until the end, when you are about to finish and you have reached almost all your aims, you no longer think about what happened in the past or about defeats, but just about what we can still achieve.

On what Inter need to do to progress

Inter need to perform like Inter have been doing, especially in the Champions League. We've reached the semi-final by beating good teams, teams that are top of their leagues and that have been successful in the past. Seeing our position in the league, other clubs probably thought that we were going to be eliminated sooner. We stayed focused on the objective, match after match, we've reached this point and have no intention of stopping here.

On the other hand, [Milan] are a strong club that has earned the right to be in the semi-final. I see two matches packed with emotion, where both clubs will give their all to reach the final. We know Milan and they know us, so we won't be surprised and neither will they. We are strong and we have all the attributes to win, but we still have to do our best. The San Siro is always spectacular. I trust it to give us the power to reach the final, especially in the second leg.