Inter Milan has been dominating Serie A this season, sitting 14 points ahead of AC Milan with only six games left. If they win on Monday, they'll secure the championship and tie the record for the earliest title win, matching Napoli's achievement from last season. After a 2-2 draw with Cagliari, Inter remains unbeaten in 26 league matches, with 21 wins, and are close to making history.
Simone Inzaghi, Inter's manager, is on the verge of winning his first Scudetto and leading Inter to their 20th league title, which would earn them the second star on their jersey, a prestigious milestone shared only with Juventus.
With Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu scoring in the last match and captain Lautaro Martinez leading the team with his impressive performances, Inter looks unstoppable. They have scored in their last 40 Serie A matches, a club record, and they could even surpass Juventus' record of scoring in 44 consecutive games.
In contrast, AC Milan has struggled recently. They've lost their last two Europa League matches to Roma, and they were knocked out of the Champions League by Inter in the semi-finals last season.
Despite a spirited 3-3 draw with Sassuolo, Milan is winless in three matches, and their hopes of finishing as Serie A runners-up to Inter are dwindling. Milan manager Stefano Pioli might be leaving this summer after his team's inconsistent performances.
Monday's derby could be pivotal for both teams. While Inter aims to secure the title, Milan is desperate to avoid a sixth consecutive derby loss, something that hasn't happened since the late 1940s. With a lot on the line for both clubs, the Derby della Madonnina is set to be a thrilling and intense encounter.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Benjamin Pavard and Lautaro Martinez are set to return to the Inter Milan lineup after missing a match due to suspension. Martinez, with eight derby goals, is Inter's third-highest scorer in the Derby della Madonnina, trailing only the legendary Giuseppe Meazza, who tops the list with 12 goals.Inter Milan's manager, Simone Inzaghi, has nearly his full squad available for this critical match, with only veteran wing-back Juan Cuadrado out due to injury. This gives Inzaghi plenty of options as he strategizes for a potentially career-defining game.
Martinez and Pavard's return means that Alexis Sanchez and Yann Bisseck will likely be benched, but no other changes are expected from Inter's starting XI for this crucial derby.
On the Milan side, Olivier Giroud has proven to be a reliable force in derby matches, scoring three goals and assisting twice in his four Serie A derbies against Inter. Although he was benched during Milan's loss to Roma, Samu Chukwueze is showing promising form since his transfer from Villarreal and could be considered to support Giroud if manager Stefano Pioli decides to make some adjustments.
Milan's defense has a few issues to address. Simon Kjaer left the game against Sassuolo with a flexor injury, Malick Thiaw is suspended, and Pierre Kalulu is still recovering from his injury. As a result, Fikayo Tomori and Matteo Gabbia are expected to be the central defensive pairing for this upcoming derby at San Siro.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
AC Milan possible starting lineup:Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Gabbia, Hernandez; Bennacer, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
EXPERT PREDICTION
AC Milan 1-1 Inter Milan
For AC Milan, another loss to Inter would be hard to swallow, but it would be a fitting conclusion to Inter's outstanding Serie A season. The Nerazzurri have been dominant, and securing the title by beating their arch-rivals would be a memorable way to cap off their success.
