The two heavyweights of Italian football clash as Inter Milan take on AC Milan in a duel of the table-toppers at the iconic San Siro on January 5. Table-topper Inter will be keen to continue their stellar run with another victory, as they aim to extend their 14-match unbeaten streak against the Rossoneri, who forced a 1-1 draw the last time the two sides met.
Hakan Calhanoglu, who notoriously joined Inter from the red side of Milan before the start of the season, put his side ahead back in November, after he slotted a penalty past Tatarusanu, before Stefan de Vrij’s unlucky own goal levelled matters.
The game was evenly matched, but for Lautaro Martinez’s missed penalty, which could have won Inter the crucial contest, as both Milan sides continued their unbeaten run at the time. However, circumstances are a bit different this time around, as Inter have remarkably reversed a seven-point deficit, now four points clear at the top, with a game in hand.
The Serie A title race is far from over, with Inter having just a slender four-point lead at the top, as Napoli and AC Milan closely at their heels. Inter will face their two closest rivals in back-to-back matchdays, taking on their arch-rivals on Saturday, and then travelling to the San Paolo, now rechristened the Diego Maradona stadium where they will take on Luciano Spalletti’s men.
Both Napoli and AC Milan will be hoping that Inter will falter in the two difficult fixtures that will come their way, allowing them the chance to push for top spot. Inter have a slightly tricky road ahead, facing AC Milan and Napoli in the league, Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma in the Coppa Italia, and English giants Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, all within the space of two weeks.
This will mean that the Nerazzuri will have to be extra cautious, as small mistakes can knock them out of the two competitions, and may well put them in the backseat in terms of the Serie A as well.
Meanwhile, AC Milan have reasonably generous fixtures, which more or less implies that Stefano Pioli’s side will be looking to put pressure on Inter as they try and close down the gap between themselves and the leaders, and also regain top spot in the league.
Key players
Alessandro Bastoni has quickly emerged as one of the Serie A’s most promising centre-backs, with an excellent start to the season so far. A key member of Antonio Conte’s squad last season, the Italian has cemented his place in the squad under Simone Inzaghi as well.
A defensively rock-solid figure at the back, Bastoni is also quite quick, which gives him an edge while dealing with the quicker attackers. In addition to his defensive abilities, Bastoni also has one goal and two assists this season in Serie A, and will definitely be one of the vital players in Saturday’s encounter.
Nicolo Barella is one of Inter’s most prized players, as the Nerazzuri look to build their future squad surrounding the 24-year old star. He has been arguably Inter’s best player this season, scoring twice and registering seven assists in the league so far.
Barella is a rare breed of player, with his superb defensive output also being top class, much like his forward play. A thorough midfield orchestrator, he is expected to play a pivotal role in the Milan Derby.
Full-back Theo Hernandez will be a major contributor in AC Milan’s results against their rivals on Saturday. The Frenchman has been brilliant for the Rossoneri this season, as he has done for a few years now. He is a complete player, possessing supreme ability going forward, in addition to the defensive solidity of a classical full-back.
Hernandez has four goals and five assists so far in the league this season, and his battle with Denzel Dumfries on the flanks will surely be a gripping watch.
Frank Kessie is also one of AC Milan’s best players at the moment. The Ivorian midfielder has had an excellent season thus far, most recently scoring a wonderful brace against Empoli prior to reporting for national duty at the AFCON.
Kessie is a machine in the middle of the park and often dictates the pace of the game. He is also the Rossoneri’s penalty-taker, something he has done well for a couple of seasons now.
Prediction
The battle between the Milan sides is always going to be a hard-fought battle, and this time is going to be no different. Either side has a few players on the sidelines nursing injuries, and some on international duty as well, with the AFCON and CONMEBOL Qualifiers. Inter will likely miss Martinez up top, which might mean that Edin Dzeko and Felipe Caicedo – Inter’s latest addition to the squad – would start.
Alexis Sanchez is also serving Chile and could join injured players Robin Gosens and Joaquin Correa, who will also miss out. AC Milan could also potentially miss Simon Kjaer, Ante Rebic, Fikayo Tomori and maverick striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who are all struggling with some fitness issues.
Inter will go with their trusted 3-5-2 formation, with the flanks promising some exciting head to head contests. Both sides seem to be equally matched, but Inter could have a slight edge with recent results on their side.
