Inter Milan and AC Milan will vie for the top spot in Serie A in the first edition of the Derby della Madonnina in 2023-24.
The latest iteration of the Derby della Madonnina will see Inter Milan and AC Milan go up against each other at the Giuseppe Meazza with the top spot in Serie A up for grabs.
Both teams have won all three of their league games so far and are joint top of the Italian top flight on points. The last time that both these sides played each other while joint top was all the way back in 1962, a small moment in history for football purists.
The visitors were thoroughly outplayed in last season’s UEFA Champions League semifinal and will hope to have closed the gap this summer. Both teams had rather eventful summers and the game should give several of them a taste of what the Milan derby is like.
Both Inter and Milan will not just be fighting for to spot on the night but also bragging rights. Simone Inzaghi’s men hold the upper edge in recent clashes but form goes out of the window in such matchups. Inter Milan are yet to concede a goal in this season’s Serie A and it seems pretty appropriate that their arch-rivals would be the one to end that hoodoo.
Napoli’s loss to Lazio before the international break suggests that they might not run away with the Scudetto, unlike last season. Whilst it is still early days, securing all three points on the night will give one of the Milan clubs an early advantage in the title race.
More so, getting one over your arch-rivals would be the right morale booster ahead of the upcoming UEFA Champions League clashes. Either way, games between Inter and Milan are never dull to begin with. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi’s men have looked rock solid at the back despite losing Andre Onana to Manchester United in the summer. The only side to concede yet in the Italian top flight, that record will be put to the test on the night against their arch-rivals.
The Champions League finalists could be without Francesco Acerbi and Juan Cuadrado. Both veterans are nursing injuries and might not make it in time to start on the night. Should they pass late fitness tests, there is every reason to believe Inzaghi will have them on the bench.
Players come and go but the Italian manager’s favoured 3-5-2 system is now here to stay. It is a testament to how well-drilled Inter are that despite knowing exactly how they will play, opposition teams aren’t able to disrupt their dominance.
Yann Sommer should start in goal behind a back three of Matteo Darmian, Stefan De Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni. Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco should offer width out wide with the trio of Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan holding the fort in the middle of the park. Benjamin Pavard, will, however, have to settle for a spot on the bench for now.
New signing Marcus Thuram has been sensational so far and should start up front alongside star striker Lautaro Martinez. The duo has shown excellent chemistry and should cause problems for the AC Milan defence.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Darmian, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
AC Milan
The idea for Stefano Pioli is to ditch his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation for a 4-3-3 has given Stefan Pioli’s men a new lease of life and brought the excitement back to the Rossonerri faithful.
Their strong start to the season will renew hopes of another title push, putting the poor 2022/23 campaign behind them. Snapping the three-game losing streak to Inter Milan will certainly have the fans believing once again that the Scudetto is there for the taking.
Pioli will have decisions to make as Fikayo Tomori is suspended following his red card against AS Roma, while Pierre Kalulu is out injured. This could force him to deploy the ageing Simon Kjaer against Inter’s mobile pairing of Thuram and Martinez- not the most ideal of scenarios.
Most players will also be feeling the after-effects of returning from international duty and might not be at 100%. This includes striker Olivier Giroud who picked up a sprained ankle while with France, who nevertheless is still expected to shake it off and lead the line. Meanwhile, Mattia Caldara and Ismael Bennacer are both still out injured and unavailable for selection.
Mentality 🧠 Quality 🔝 Intensity 🔥
The coach previews the derby 👇#InterMilan #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/9ZCb7phxX4
— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 15, 2023
Mike Maignan is a shoo-in between the sticks and should be protected by the back four of Davide Calabria, Malick Thiaw, Simon Kjaer and Theo Hernandez.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders have added much energy in the middle of the park and are expected to partner Rade Krunic in midfield. How the trio will fare against Inter’s well-drilled trio of Barella-Mkhitaryan-Calhanoglu could set the tone for the game.
Christian Pulisic will go up against Bastoni and the duel should be an interesting one to watch. Former Serie A MVP Raphael Leao should prove to be a bigger threat on the other flank with Giroud leading the line upfront. The Frenchman could become the first AC Milan player to score in all the first four matches played by the team since Oliver Bierhoff in the 1998/99 campaign.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Kjaer, Theo Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
Key Stats
- A win on Saturday will see Inter Milan come out on top against AC Milan in five straight games for the first time in history. A clean sheet will see Inter Milan manage five straight shutouts against AC Milan for the first time ever.
- Inter Milan have drawn 56 games against AC Milan in Serie A, more than any other side in the Italian top flight. The Nerazzurri have scored 251 goals against AC Milan in Serie A so far. This is the Rossonerri’s worst record against any side in the Italian top flight.
- Scoring on Saturday will see Inter Milan go 12 straight home games without failing to score against AC Milan in Serie A for the first time ever.
- This is the first time since 1966 that Inter Milan have kept a clean sheet in their first three games of a Serie A campaign.
- Lautaro Martínez has scored eight goals against AC Milan. Only Giuseppe Meazza (12) and Stefano Nyers (11) have scored more goals in Inter’s history in the fixture.
Player to Watch
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
The former Chelsea man has been offered a new lease of life at San Siro and to his credit, has taken it with both hands. His energy and ability to hound opponents will be key in keeping the Inter midfield quiet on the night. More so, it will also give time and space for Pulisic to exploit, especially when Bastoni or Hernandez are caught further upfield.
Loftus-Cheek’s athleticism and physicality are key factors that can help Milan gain a foothold in the midfield. As long as he steps up his game, the visitors have a chance of getting one over their arch-rivals.
Prediction
Inter Milan 2-1 AC Milan
On paper, Inter are better drilled and have the edge up front, especially given the players missing at the back for Milan. However, Pioli’s men have weapons of their own and will benefit from adding athleticism and energy to the midfield.
While the visitors are expected to make a game of it, Inter’s frontline could prove to be the difference on the night. Lautaro Martinez has made it a habit of scoring against Milan and could once again make the difference on the night. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow win for the Nerazzurri in a hard-fought game.
