What: Italian Serie A
Who: Internazionale (4th; 20 points) vs AC Milan (1st; 23 points)
When: Sunday 14th November, 2010, at 19:45 UK time
Where: Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
Uneasy Situation
For a club that has been an arm’s length above every team in Serie A over the past five years, Internazionale go into the first of the two Milan derbies this season in fourth place, three points behind their weekend opponents and league leaders AC Milan. With last season’s treble winners not enjoying the best of runs, the Derby della Madonnina couldn’t have come at an uglier time for Inter.
Coach Rafael Benitez’s side have been on a poor run lately, winning just one game out of their last five outings. An embarrassing defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, along with a couple of frustrating draws against minnows Brescia and Lecce has meant that the current league champions are only a shadow of the team that conquered all with Jose Mourinho last term. With an ever expanding injury list and the drop in form of key players such as Maicon and Diego Milito, Inter certainly won’t have it easy this weekend.
However, Dutch wizard Wesley Sneijder believes the Nerazzurri will still come good. "In the derby, we will not fail", said Sneijder, "because it will be like my debut [when Inter won], as it was last year."
Well Adjusted
The Beneamata’s loss is naturally Milan’s gain. Massimiliano Allegri’s side have seen their fortunes experience a real upturn in Serie A ever since their draw against Real Madrid at the San Siro – a game they would have won but for a late Pedro Leon leveller. Milan have gone on to claim pole position in the league standings as Lazio’s run came to an inevitable halt. Well positioned atop the league table, the Rossoneri can now tackle the derby with a sense of reassurance.
Filippo Inzaghi’s season-ending injury remains the main talking point around the Milanello. The veteran striker produced a breath-taking display against Real Madrid recently, positioning himself as the Champions League’s top scoring striker. Against Palermo in midweek competition, “Pippo” damaged an anterior crucial ligament, with recent tests indicating that his season is most probably over. With Alexandre Pato also expected to spend some time on the sidelines, the seven-time European champions are certainly being pushed to the limit in the forward department. One man who will play though is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the former Inter striker will surely be gunning to take down his old side.
Recent form
Inter:
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Inter
(02/11; Champions League)
Inter 1-1 Brescia (06/11; Serie A)
Lecce 1-1 Inter (10/11; Serie A)
Milan:
Milan 2-2 Real Madrid
(03/11; Champions League)
Bari 2-3 Milan (07/11; Serie A)
Milan 3-1 Palermo (10/11; Serie A)
Key absences
Inter: Julio Cesar; Sulley Muntari; Thiago Motta; David Suazo; McDonald Mariga; Walter Samuel; Maicon; Esteban Cambiasso (doubt)
Milan: Daniele Bonera (doubt); Massimo Oddo; Alexandre Pato; Filippo Inzaghi; Gianluca Zambrotta (doubt)
Players to watch
Inter – Samuel Eto’o: The Cameroonian remains one of the few Inter players not to have suffered a dip in form after last season’s successes. Eto’o has constantly been his side’s go-to guy this season, carrying Inter when chances looked gloomy. Against Milan, he certainly will be one of the Nerazzurri’s focal points and it is hard to get away from the fact that any Inter win will most probably come with an Eto’o goal.
AC Milan – Zlatan Ibrahimovic: With Milan considered to be the “visiting” side for this derby, Ibrahimovic will certainly be in line for a rough reception from the Inter supporters, who did not always see eye to eye with the dominant Swede. He will be counted upon to break up his old team’s defensive line and has already slotted into goalscoring Serie A life as if he had never been away.
Match prediction
Both teams go into the derby with a number of key players missing, with Inter having slightly more stars in the treatment room. With both teams sporting leaky and weak defences at present, expect a number of goals in this match. However, the duo should cancel each other out in what could be a cracking game. Expect a final score of 2-2 or 3-3.
