Inter Milan vs AC Milan

The 230th edition of the famous Derby della Madonnina sees table-topping Inter Milan take on second-placed AC Milan in a potentially title-deciding Serie A showdown.

Seeking back-to-back Serie A titles for the first time since 2009/10, Inter Milan head into proceedings on an intimidating run of 28 home league matches without losing. With a four-point lead and a game in hand on nearest challenges Milan and Napoli, Simone Inzaghi’s me could make a decisive step towards another Scudetto. There’s plenty of reason for optimism in the ‘Nerazzurri’ camp, as they’ve only lost one of their last 11 Serie A clashes against city rivals (W6, D4), drawing a blank only once in that sequence. Furthermore, the reigning Italian champions enter this round as the only Serie A side to have smashed a 50-goal barrier this season (53), netting a league-high 29 goals at home in the process. So it’s not surprising that they’ve won both home league games after conceding the opener this term.

On the other hand, AC Milan’s hopes of lifting their first Scudetto since 2010/11 are up in the air after they’ve gone from three consecutive Serie A victories to back-to-back league games without winning (D1, L1). Though they’ll only be nominal visitors here, ‘I Rossoneri’ can find some comfort knowing they’ve not lost any of their last four Serie A away matches (W3, D1), notably scoring 3+ goals in each triumph. Following a goalless home draw with Juventus ahead of the international break, Stefano Pioli’s men face the prospect of going two consecutive Serie A outings without scoring for the first time since February 2021. Meanwhile, after a 1-1 stalemate in the reverse fixture in November, Milan could draw both seasonal meetings with Inter in Serie A for the first time since 2016/17, when Pioli was at the helm of ‘I Nerazzurri.’