Inter vs Milan: More than just three points at stake in Derby della Madonnina

Topics: TV Schedules, TV Listings, Inter, AC Milan, Serie A

The latest iteration of the famous Derby della Madonnina gets underway this Saturday as familiar rivals Inter and Milan prepare to do battle at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Preview: Inter vs Milan

On Saturday, the 230th official (and 301st unofficial) Derby della Madonnina gets underway, with Inter serving as the "home team" at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. As things stand, the Nerazzurri now boast a four point lead over Milan, which is a drastic change of events from the last time the two sides met just under three months ago.

At that time, the Rossoneri were on top of the table, seven points ahead of their cross-town rivals and had many fans thinking that maybe this could be the year that Milan finally ended their 11 year wait for the Scudetto. Flash-forward to the start of February, and Inter have now not only regained top spot, but now have put some distance between themselves and the Diavolo. Simone Inzaghi's men could go seven points clear should they beat Stefano Pioli's side, thus putting them ever closer towards successfully defending their Scudetto crown.

Given that Milan have been dumped out of the Champions League after a miserable group stage campaign, the only titles left for the Rossoneri are on the domestic front. They'll also be hoping to come back revitalized after some poor results prior to the international hiatus, which included a shock 2-1 loss to minnows Spezia, followed by a frustrating draw with Juventus.

Indeed, after starting off well, Milan come into this game having failed to win their last two games. By contrast, Inter have failed to win just one of their last five, and appear to be hitting their stride just at the last moment. Last season again saw Milan on top of the table, only to suffer a mid-season collapse and Rossoneri supporters had to sit on the sidelines after Inter deservedly clinched the Scudetto for the first time since 2010.

Will this be a repeat of last season, with the Nerazzurri picking up momentum to canter towards the Scudetto? Inter followers obviously will hope so as the Nerazzurri look to re-establish themselves in Italy after a difficult decade, but for Milan supporters, they naturally will hope the Derby della Madonnina will be the turning point for the Diavolo - and in a positive way.

Team news: Inter vs Milan

Inter: Joaquin Correa and new signing Robin Gosens are both out with hamstring injuries, but other from that, the Nerazzurri have a full-strength squad available. It remains to be seen if Lautaro Martinez and Alexis Sanchez, both of whom featured for Argentina and Chile respectively during the international break, are involved in this match.

Milan: The Rossoneri have been dealt a huge blow as Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks set to miss this game due to an Achilles tendon issue. The veteran Swede will be joined on the sidelines by Simon Kjaer (knee injury), and possibly Fikayo Tomori (also knee issues). Meanwhile, Croatian international Ante Rebic is a major doubt following an ankle injury, meaning that Olivier Giroud will be tasked with leading the line. However, Milan could be given a big boost with Franck Kessie, who was away playing for the Ivory Coast at the AFCON, very likely reclaiming his spot in the starting XI.

Match facts: Inter vs Milan

Inter are presently unbeaten in their last 28 home games - the second longest streak since April 2008 to November 2010, when they went 45 unbeaten
The Nerazzurri have lost just one of their last 11 meetings with Milan (D4 L6)
Interestingly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the player who ended Inter's 45 game winning streak as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for Milan in November 2010
The veteran striker also was on target nearly ten years later in October 2020, scoring a brace to give Milan their only win in their last 11 meetings with Inter
Simone Inzaghi's record against Stefano Pioli is W6 D3 L3