The first Derby della Madonnina of the season comes at a time when both Inter Milan and AC Milan are part of the title race and separated by just two points. The outcome of this clash could prove crucial at the end of the season.
AC Milan were clear at the top of the table until the last few results, which include three draws in their last five Serie A games. But this doesn’t change the fact that the Rossoneri are unbeaten since the very first round of the campaign or 11 matches in a row.
Across the pitch, their eternal rivals are currently two points clear at the top of the table and riding a three-match winning streak. Most recently before the break, they crushed Lazio at home.
However, the Nerazzurri already lost three times in Serie A this season and all three defeats came against teams in the title race or the Top 10. And since AC Milan have no international business this season, they could be in better shape for a world class performance, as Inter have to travel to Atletico Madrid three days later.
How the bookies view it: Considerable home advantage
Bookmakers believe the Nerazzurri have much better chances to win this Derby della Madonnina, although home advantage is not exactly a factor in this clash. Currently, there is a huge difference in the odds, with Inter available at 9/10 and AC Milan available at 3/1. A draw is always possible between these teams, so you can back this option at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: AC Milan are unbeaten in five
Inter Milan hold the lead in the all-time H2H record but the recent outings matter most, and AC Milan have the short-term upper hand. The Rossoneri are unbeaten in the last five, winning three times. And two out of their three wins were when Inter were the designated host.
Players to watch: Thuram is hungry for action
Marcus Thuram had an outstanding season start for Inter Milan with seven goal contributions in his first seven starts before a muscle injury kept him sidelined for over a month. He returned for Inter’s last two matches before the international break and played 20 minutes in each.
He was kept out of France’s squad this time, so we expect him to be put back in the starting line-up against AC Milan.
Probable line-ups
Inter Milan: Sommer, Acerbi, Akanji, Bastoni, Augusto, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco, Thuram, Martinez
AC Milan: Maignan, Gabbia, Pavlovic, De Winter, Saelemaekers, Fofana, Rabiot, Modric, Estupinan, Leao, Pulisic
Anything else catch the eye?
Inter’s attack has been outstanding this season and they’ve scored double the goals of most other Serie A teams. At the same time, however, their defence is far from the best in the league, with 12 conceded goals in 11 rounds.
Think both sides will find the net? Our BTTS Masterclass explains how to spot the fixtures where goals are a given. And this is one of those fixtures, which has a huge potential to feature goals from both teams. Moreover, four of the last five H2Hs had that outcome.
Other than that, you can consider betting on corners in this matchup. The last four H2Hs featured at least 10 corners.
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