Serie A - Internazionale vs AC Milan: Preview and Prediction

The Derby della Madonnina stage is all set as both Internazionale and AC Milan get ready to get better of their arch-rival. Will the Nerazzurri register their fourth consecutive derby win in all competitions?

The two major clubs of Italy are finally putting efforts in the right direction to regain their glory days. Both Internazionale and AC Milan have improved the quality of their squads and are looking in good touch to make the Serie A competitive again.

It’s a crucial fixture for the two teams as they target first and top-six finish respectively. After a loss against Verona last night, Juventus are just three points ahead with one more game played. If Internazionale manages to register a win then they will become the leader for the second time this season.

AC Milan, on the other hand, are undefeated in their last nine out of 10 Serie A fixtures and it’s looking like that they will succeed in finishing inside the top-six. Also, for the first time in recent years, it looks like that the Rossoneri will give tough competition to their city rivals.

Injury Update

As for Internazionale, Roberto Gagliardini, Samir Handanovic, Borja Valero are all injured and won’t be part of this game while Alessandro Bastoni and Lautaro Martínez are suspended.

AC Milan, on the other hand, are going to be without Léo Duarte and Lucas Biglia as both are sidelined due to injury.

Key Battles:

Romelu Lukaku vs Alessio Romagnoli

Romelu Lukaku has been the best Internazionale player this season. The Belgian has just turned around his form in comparison to the last season when he was with Manchester United. The transfer has surely been fruitful for the Inter striker.

The Belgian has scored 16 goals and provided two assists in his 22 appearances in the Serie A this season. While Alessio Romagnoli has made 1.5 tackles per game and five clearances per game in his 22 league appearances. This battle is going to be enthralling as two great in-form players try to thwart each other.

The Rossoneri defender will try to keep Lukaku silent as he is the only in-form striker with Martinez sidelined. The Belgian, on the other hand, will eye to score more goals to prove himself worthy in the pressure situations.

Milan Skriniar vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has recovered from injury and will feature in his first derby after joining AC Milan. The Swedish striker is not as quick as he was during his last derby but has surely become more experienced and can use it to create the difference in this fixture.

Milan Skriniar, on the other hand, is young and quick, which can an issue for Zlatan as he would not be able to get past him easily. The Rossoneri striker, however, is quite impeccable inside the box and can create problems for the opposition.

The AC Milan striker has scored one goal but took 3.8 shots per game in his four appearances in the Serie A. While the Inter defender is averaging 1.2 tackles per game and 2.8 clearances in his 21 league appearances.

Prediction

Internazionale are undefeated in their last 15 Serie A fixtures and have not lost the league game against AC Milan since January 2016. The Rossoneri squad, however, has improved and with Zlatan back in the team, the confidence of others has improved.

After, discussing everything about the two teams, I believe that the Nerazzurri will score a couple of goals while their city rivals will only get one back. According to me, Lukaku is going to find the back of the net and take his team to the top of the Serie A table.

Predicted score: Internazionale 2 - 1 AC Milan