INTER v AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW
Serie A
Pride has taken a hit, but there's the desire to smile again. "Take these broken wings and learn to fly" sang The Beatles in Blackbird. Tonight, at San Siro, the Rossoneri will face a confident Inter side in good form. In order to return to winning ways, heart, sacrifice, quality and composure will all be required. Kick-off is coming up at 20:45 CET, with Pioli's men ready to put their poor spell behind them. As the game draws nearer, here are all the latest updates in our Match Preview.
LATEST FROM MILANELLO
The week leading up to the cross-city clash has inevitably been characterised by the desire to bounce back after a tough few weeks. The Rossoneri are without a win since 4 January, but the derby showdown at San Siro provides an opportunity to get back on track. Bennacer is out: after missing the game against Sassuolo through suspension, the Algerian now has a muscle problem. Also on the absentee list are Tomori, Florenzi, Maignan and Ibra, who, however, has returned to group training in the past few days. Nevertheless, Dest, who was unable to play last Sunday, should be back. Coach Pioli could make changes to his starting line-up, both in terms of personnel and the formation. No Rossoneri player is suspended, although Davide Calabria is one booking away from missing out on the next game.
Coach Pioli had the following to say during his pre-match press conference: "For us, it's a big opportunity, and we must do everything to seize it. Inter are in excellent form, but we really want to bounce back. We'll try to win and want to produce a big performance."
LATEST FROM INTER
The Nerazzurri are on a positive run and come into the game having come from behind to beat Cremonese in the league and progressed to the Coppa Italia semi-finals with victory over Atalanta. Inzaghi's side are in good shape and, compared to their midweek match, will have Milan Škriniar back in the side, most likely from the first minute. As a result, Darmian will probably occupy the right flank. In terms of attack, Edin Džeko and Lautaro Martínez should be the front pairing, with Correa and Lukaku ready to come on. The Nerazzurri have no suspensions or players at risk of suspension, and their only absentee is Dalbert.
Inzaghi gave the following thoughts ahead of the game: "Every derby is a story in itself. We need to have the right amount of focus, and we'll need to use both our heads and hearts, also remaining level-headed. We’ve arrived at a point in the season where points are crucial for any objective."
LATEST FROM SERIE A
Davide Massa is set to referee the first derby of his career. The 41-year-old has previously taken charge of 17 games involving AC Milan, with the Rossoneri having won six, drawn seven and lost four. The Diavolo last encountered the official from Imperia in AC Milan 2-2 Roma on 8 January. Massa has refereed 22 Inter matches during his career (14 Nerazzurri wins, four draws and four defeats).
Matchday 21 in Serie A kicked off yesterday with Cremonese 0-2 Lecce, Roma 2-0 Empoli and Sassuolo 1-0 Atalanta. Today, it finished Spezia 0-3 Napoli, and, in addition to Inter v AC Milan at 20:45 CET, Torino 1-0 Udinese and Fiorentina v Bologna (18:00 CET) are in store. Two games will be played on Monday: Hellas Verona v Lazio at 18:30 CET and Monza v Sampdoria at 20:45 CET. The latest round of fixtures will come to an end with Salernitana v Juventus at 20:45 CET on Tuesday.
This is the current Serie A table: Napoli* 56; Inter, Roma* 40; Lazio, Milan, Atalanta* 38; Torino* 30; Udinese* 29; Bologna, Empoli* 26; Monza 25; Fiorentina 24; Juventus, Lecce*, Sassuolo* 23; Salernitana 21; Spezia* 18; Hellas Verona 13; Sampdoria 9; Cremonese* 8. (* one more game played).
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