Seeking a record seventh straight win over their city rivals, Serie A champions Inter Milan meet ailing AC Milan at San Siro on Sunday.
The season’s first Milan derby comes amid talk of a coaching change for the Rossoneri, who lost this week’s Champions League opener; Inter, meanwhile, have made a solid start to their title defence and defied Manchester City last time out.
Such has been their dominance in the Derby della Madonnina, Inter fans have almost forgotten how defeat to their bitterest foes tastes, as their team have won six successive games across three different competitions – and by an aggregate scoreline of 14-2.
That success streak includes two victories in the 2023 Champions League semi-finals, a 5-1 league win later that year, and a memorable 2-1 triumph in April, when the Nerazzurri claimed their 20th Italian title by beating Milan.
Indeed, Inter have won nine of the clubs’ 14 Serie A meetings since the start of the 2017-18 campaign: only against Udinese and Hellas Verona have they posted more wins during that time, and only against Genoa and Sampdoria have they scored more goals.
Simone Inzaghi’s side can now surpass Milan’s record streak by taking maximum points again this weekend, when Inzaghi could move into second place for coaches with most derby wins – eight across all competitions would leave him just two behind Carlo Ancelotti.
Inter come into this contest sitting third in the Serie A standings, two points behind surprise leaders Udinese, following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Monza last week, when Denzel Dumfries saved their blushes with a late equaliser.
Nonetheless, the Scudetto holders are still unbeaten this season, after holding Manchester City in the Champions League – a tense tactical battle at the Etihad ended goalless on Wednesday evening.
While Inter went toe to toe with the champions of England and came away with a hard-fought point, Milan lost to Liverpool one day earlier, going down to a 3-1 defeat despite taking an early lead through Christian Pulisic.
Several media outlets along the Italian peninsula have claimed that new coach Paulo Fonseca is already certain to face the sack sooner rather than later, as his side have just won one of their first five matches.
Milan are 10th in the early Serie A standings, having picked up just five points so far, which represents the club’s worst start since 2018.
After talk of a rift with some of his star players before the international break, Fonseca brought Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez back into the starting XI last week, and within half an hour the Rossoneri had already struck four times, through Hernandez, Pulisic, Leao and newcomer Youssouf Fofana.
However, a 4-0 win over rock-bottom Venezia has done little to quell talk of legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic – now an adviser to the club owners – seeking out a new manager, so Fonseca will be acutely aware that ending Inter’s win-streak is a minimum requirement.
Milan last won a derby back in September 2022, shortly after they had pipped their city rivals to the Serie A title, so victory is certainly overdue for fans of the Rossoneri.
After missing out in midweek due to a muscular problem, Federico Dimarco should be back in the fold for Sunday’s big game and could replace Carlos Augusto on Inter’s left flank.
Captain Lautaro Martinez is also set to return to the first XI: ‘El Toro’ has yet to score this season and started on the bench against Manchester City, but he averages a goal every other game from 16 matches against Milan.
Marcus Thuram will certainly start up front, having scored in both of his Serie A derbies to date. The French forward – who has recorded six goal involvements in just four league games this term – could now join Ronaldo (1997-98) and Romelu Lukaku (2019-20) by scoring in all of his first three.
Meanwhile, Milan’s attack will be led by either Alvaro Morata or Tammy Abraham, with support from Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao. Only against Hellas Verona and Roma has the latter been directly involved in more league goals than versus Inter (five).
Paulo Fonseca’s chief concern regards goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who was forced off on Tuesday, and with experienced deputy Marco Sportiello still sidelined, teenager Lorenzo Torriani may be thrown in at the deep end.
Ismael Bennacer (ankle), Alessandro Florenzi (ACL) and Malick Thiaw (ankle) are all ruled out by injury.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Morata.
History awaits Simone Inzaghi’s Inter side, as they are proven winners when it really matters, while Milan are currently some way short of their best.
It will be seven derby wins on the spin for the Nerazzurri, whose squad depth and tactical acumen far exceeds that of their Rossoneri rivals.
