After the mid-season break, Action resumes around European Leagues as teams get back into club football groove, It`s Inter v Milan.
The biggest match in Europe this week is definitely the top-of-the-table clash in Italy.
The Derby Della Madonnina. The biggest derby in all of Italian football with a rich background and recent history. Inter Milan are the hists, but AC Milan will be looking to hunt the League leaders down on Saturday evening.
Inter v Milan Match Card
Date- Saturday, February 5th, 2022
Kick-Off Time – 18:00 pm
Venue – Guiseppe Meazza. Milan, Italy.
What Has Been Said
Simone Inzaghi insists the Milan derby is not decisive for the Serie A title race this year. The former Lazio boss has played down the importance of this weekend’s match in the 2021/22 title race.
“We know what the derby means for the fans, but there are 15 games to go, and 45 points left to play for.”
Inzaghi was asked who he expects to contend for the league title this season and pointed to the threat of Juventus, who are 11 points behind them but signed Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria in January.
“It is still open. Beyond Milan and Napoli, Atalanta and Juventus are very strong,” “We saw what happened in the first half of the season. We were seven points off the top and managed to close the gap.”
Team News
AC Milan
Ibrahimovic has been ruled out of this game. Milan’s Serie A top scorer has a problem with his Achilles.
Simon Kjaer is still out of the season, and Ante Rebic will also miss this game.
Inter Milan
Joaquin Correa and new boy Robin Gosens are not available for this match due to injuries.
Predicted Lineups
Inter – Handanovic, de Virj, Skriniar, Bastoni, Dumphries, Perisic, Calhanoglu, Barella, Brozovic, Martinez, Dzeko.
Milan– Maignan, Kalulu, Romagnoli, Hernandez, Calabria, Tonali, Bennacer, Diaz, Leao, Saelemaekers, Giroud.
STATS
This is one of the most contested derbies in European football with the sides having met in 229 matches, with Inter having 84 wins and Milan managing 77 victories against their rivals.
Last season the shares were spoiled as a Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace gave the Rossoneri the win in the first game of the season, but Inter were the better side during their 3-0 victory in the second half of the season.
Milan are the side against which Inter have drawn the most Serie A matches (56), whilst no other side have beaten the Rossoneri more often than Inter (67). Milan have also conceded 247 top-flight goals against Inter, more than against any other side in the competition.
Inter have lost only one of their last 11 Serie A meetings against Milan (2-1 in October 2020 thanks to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace in the opening 16 minutes): they have won six and drawn four in the process, in which only once have Milan kept a clean sheet.
Facts
Since the 2020-21 campaign, Inter have lost four of their 60 Serie A games (W44 D12), with one against AC Milan in October 2020 – in the same period, the Nerazzurri have lost fewer than half the matches of any other side in the competition (Atalanta, nine).
After their 0-0 draw against Juventus, AC Milan could fail to score in consecutive league games for the first time since February 2021 – they last drew successive league games in December 2020.
Inter’s last Serie A home defeat was back in October 2020, against Milan, and are unbeaten in 28 home games since. This is their longest run at home without a defeat in the competition since the 46 matches between April 2008 and November 2010, ended by Milan (0-1 with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring in November 2010).
Prediction
Inter are currently the better team, but it will be an entertaining matchup even without Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Inter Might nick it, but the match should be filled with goals.
Tip
Over 2.5
