Stadio San Siro forms the backdrop for the mouth-watering Serie A showdown between eternal rivals Inter and Milan. The latest installment of the famous Derby della Madonnina has all the makings of a Scudetto six-pointer.

Inter headed into the November international break as the joint Serie A leaders after beating Lazio 2-0 last time out. Level on points with Roma, Cristian Chivu’s men are in front on goal difference alone, while they boast a slim two-point lead over upcoming rivals Milan.

However, Inter will take the field in high spirits after winning their last three league matches. Two of those three victories came at San Siro and saw the Nerazzurri score at least two unanswered goals. Therefore, they’ll be confident of ending an underwhelming five-game winless run against Milan.

Unlike their arch-rivals, Massimiliano Allegri’s charges have recently struggled in Serie A. Despite taking a two-goal lead through Alexis Saelemaekers and Rafael Leao, Milan slumped to a morale-wracking 2-2 draw at Parma on the stroke of the international break.

That disappointing result at Stadio Ennio Tardini marked Milan’s third stalemate across their last four league matches. Though that’s hardly impressive, it’s worth mentioning that the Rossoneri haven’t lost a competitive game since a dismal 2-1 home defeat to Cremonese on the opening Serie A weekend.

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Inter

Despite his limited experience in senior management, Chivu has excelled during the early stages of his tenure at San Siro. Indeed, the 45-year-old has steered Inter to the top of the Serie A standings after losing twice in the opening three league rounds.

Furthermore, Inter remain one of only three sides with a flawless record after the first four Champions League matchdays. It’s also fair to say that Chivu has unlocked Inter’s full attacking potential. For context, the 20-time Italian Champions are Serie A’s most prolific team, and it’s not even close.

Inter bagged an eye-catching 26 goals in the first 11 rounds, at least eight more than any other side. Particularly dominant after the break, they’ve scored a league-high ten second-half goals at home this season. Therefore, Milan’s error-prone

Yet, the Nerazzurri would be naive to take anything for granted, especially considering that all three of their league defeats this season came against sides starting this round in the top half.

Milan

Despite their ongoing unbeaten run, Milan must find a way to turn draws into victories if they’re to clinch a long-awaited 20th Scudetto. Four stalemates from their last six league outings paint a bleak picture for the Rossoneri, who squandered the lead on three occasions in that underwhelming sequence.

Without the distraction of European football, Milan remain one of the strongest title contenders in Serie A this season. There’s no doubt that another derby win would lay down a Scudetto marker for the seven-time Champions League winners, yet it could be easier said than done.

Milan may be the only Serie A side yet to lose on the road this season (W3, D2). However, they are only the nominal visitors in this fixture, which they hope won’t be their undoing tonight. On the bright side, Milan were the designated visitors in two of their last three victories in this matchup.

Allegri’s charges are also among the division’s best first-half performers. Indeed, they haven’t trailed at halftime in a Serie A match this season (HT: W5, D6).

Team News

Inter will be without several first-team stars this evening. In addition to long-term absentees Raffaele Di Gennaro, Matteo Darmian, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, they lost Denzel Dumfries to an ankle injury during the international break. However, Marcus Thuram will return to the starting XI for the first time since September.

On the other hand, Milan cannot call upon Mexican center-forward Santiago Gimenez, with Christian Pulisic expected to partner up with Leao in the final third. Summer signing Zachary Athekame is also on the sidelines, though he would’ve likely played second fiddle to Saelemaekers anyway.

Inter vs Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Augusto, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram.

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao.

Inter vs Milan Prediction

Inter are in far better shape than their arch-rivals, but form often counts for nothing in these derby matches. Milan can rely on Allegri’s impressive managerial record against the Nerazzurri (W16, D5, L5), as they look to upset the odds and overtake their opposition at the top of the table.

Prediction: Milan to Win