Inter Milan and AC Milan lock heads for the 181st Serie A instalment of the Derby della Madonnina tomorrow as both teams battle for city supremacy.
This derby is arguably the biggest clash in Italian football so fans keen for a more immersive experience should secure their Inter Milan vs AC Milan tickets via Seatsnet.com.
The Nerazzurri play host to their arch-rivals, looking to muscle their way back into the upper echelons of the league table after a rocky start to the season.
Inter stuttered in their first match as Genoa held the tepid champions to a 2-2 draw at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. The 20-time Serie A winners did not look sharp but managed to grind out a point.
Simone Inzaghi’s side made up for their shaky opener with two wins on the trot, expertly swatting Lecce aside before mullering Atalanta 4-0.
The win over La Dea reminded the rest of the league why they are the champions, tearing the Europa League winners from limb to limb.
Inter’s Marcus Thuram delivered a scintillating centre-forward performance, forcing an early own goal before bagging two for himself, with underrated midfielder Nicolo Barella also getting in on the action.
Inter looked like they had dialled into their ruthless mode and were ready to obliterate everyone on their path to a second successive title.
However, they stumbled again when they faced AC Monza. Inter huffed and puffed but struggled to stick the ball into the back of the net.
Monza got one chance and grabbed it with both hands as Dany Mota’s looping header beat Yann Sommer between the sticks with nine minutes to go. Thankfully, Denzel Dumfries salvaged a point for Inter.
Meanwhile, Paulo Fonseca’s side has gotten off to a horrendous start. Like their rivals, they also opened their season with a 2-2 draw against a spirited Torino side who surprisingly sit atop the Serie A log.
Milan needed two late goals from Noah Okafor and Alvaro Morata to claw back a point from the cusp of defeat. It was a sign of terrible things to come for the Rossoneri.
Fonseca’s side lost to Parma before another 2-2 draw with Lazio followed. They redeemed themselves with a thumping 4-0 win over Venezia, but it did little to paper the cracks which were then exposed against Liverpool in the Champions League.
Milan have failed to get into their stride. Their structure is awful, and the centre is porous, but Inter do not look in the best shape to take advantage of their glaring weaknesses, making this a fascinating match-up for neutrals.
Fans of both clubs will be biting their nails and hoping to see the better side of their team tomorrow.
Head to Head
Inter and Milan have squared off 180 times in Serie A, and the Nerazzurri always had the upper hand, clinching 70 victories (L54, D56). In all competitions, they have played 239 games against each other, with Inter winning 91 (L79, D69).
Inter completely dominated their arch-rivals in their most recent meetings, and their constant pummelling of Milan in the derbies was one of the primary reasons they decided to move on from former head coach Stefano Pioli.
Inzaghi’s well-oiled machine stormed to victory in their last six meetings with Milan across all competitions. Their last face-off ended in a 2-1 win for the Blue and Blacks, a heated match that ended with 19 men on the pitch.
Before that, Inter humiliated their rivals 5-1, outplaying them from back to front and undressing them tactically. Last season, Inter walloped Milan in both of their Serie A meetings.
Milan’s last win over Inter came in 2022 when Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao spearheaded them to victory. That is Milan’s only win in the previous nine derbies.
Milan have not enjoyed the sort of success they had over Inter in the early 2000s (between November 2002 and February 2004) when they won four consecutive league games against their fearsome rivals.
Unsurprisingly, Andriy Shevchenko led the line for Milan those days and is the highest scorer in this fixture, scoring 14 goals.
Team news & potential line-ups
Inter’s Lautaro Martinez has been dealing with a knock for most of the season. However, his substitute appearance against Manchester City will give fans hope heading into the Derby della Madonnina.
They believe they have struggled because their talisman is unavailable and are delighted to have him back.
Canadian wing-back Tajon Buchanan is set to miss a chunk of the opening portion of the season.
He remains out for the foreseeable future. Controversial striker Marko Arnautovic missed the City game with a fever and is doubtful for the Milan derby.
The big miss for Inter is likely the absence of buccaneering wing-back Federico Dimarco, who is dealing with a muscle injury. The Italian international is arguably the best in the world in his position.
Dimarco has a wicked cross, a vicious shot, and unbelievable timing of his runs. He is a menace for Davide Calabria and would torment Emerson Royal for fun. Apart from those three, Inter have a clean bill of health.
On the other hand, Milan are without influential midfielder Ismael Benaccer. The Algerian will be sidelined for four months after going under the knife for a problem with his right calf.
The latest injury is one in a worrying string Benaccer has suffered, and Milan fans are growing frustrated they may never get back the man who held the centre together as they clinched their last Serie A title.
Promising centre-half Malick Thiaw is also out, and Milan fans must be concerned about the German as he has been picking up these niggling issues far too often.
Consequently, his progression has stalled. Fringe stars Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Sportiello are injured.
Inter Milan potential starting line-up:
(3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Carlos Augusto, Piotr Zielinski, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella; Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram.
AC Milan potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Tijjani Reijnders, Youssouf Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek; Rafael Leao, Alvaro Morata, Christian Pulisic.
Prediction
Recent history suggests Inter will reign supreme once again. Inzaghi has mastered dismantling Milan, winning the last six encounters.
With a (mostly) healthy Martinez back in the fold alongside the red-hot Thuram, Inter’s attack will cause problems for a vulnerable Milan.
The Rossoneri usually have no response for their slick movement and third-man runs.
Milan don’t look any better than they did last term under Pioli. They are tactically undercooked and risk being humiliated again by their fierce rivals.
They will likely get on the scoresheet thanks to the talented forward line, but their structural shortcomings are glaring.
Milan’s leaky defence and lack of midfield control will be exposed. Look for Inter to claim bragging rights and three points with a convincing 3-1 victory.
