Last season was not a good one for Inter fans, but it certainly was not better for AC Milan followers, either. Both the Nerazzurri and the Rossoneri will only have to contend with domestic competition, having missed out on European football due to their eighth and tenth placed finishes respectively. Despite the two Milan giants' struggles, the San Siro (or Giuseppe Meazza, depending on whom you ask) is expected to be sold out as arguably the biggest derby in Italian football is set to take place this Sunday evening.
As Juventus have dominated Serie A in recent times, both Milan and Inter have struggled not just to knock the Turin powerhouse off their pedestal, but to even crack the top five. In the case of the Diavolo, this will be their second straight season sans European competition, after barely scraping into the top half of the table. Not surprisingly, both teams have opened their checkbooks in order to refurbish their squads, and for most of these players, tomorrow's game will be the biggest one since making the move to Italy this summer.
Inter
Although they made it to the knockout stages of the Europa League last season, Roberto Mancini's side will only be focusing on domestic affairs this campaign. Whilst this is certainly disappointing for Inter fans, at the very least they do hope that their team will be able to make a serious push for a Europa League - and perhaps even a Champions League - spot for the 2016/2017 term.
President Erick Thohir was not shy about splashing the cash in order to freshen up their defense, midfield, and attack. Some of these players, such as Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic, who played together at Fiorentina, will certainly be familiar with Italian football. However, others, such as Ivan Perisic, Miranda, and one player who has already inspired a derby - Geoffrey Kondogbia - will need time to adjust to a new league, but their manager and supporters will hope they hit the ground running.
Kondogbia in particular will be one to watch on Sunday. The former Monaco man was the focus of a tug-of-war between Milan and Inter this summer, and certainly did not earn himself any love from Diavolo fans after deciding to move to the Nerazzurri in a deal worth about €28 million. Certainly, the French international, who has yet to hit full stride in Inter's first two matches will be keen on making his mark in this derby and to show Milan supporters what they really missed out on.
Interestingly, this will also be a derby between the two managers. Mancini and Sinisa Mihajlovic may be friends from their time spent together at Inter, Sampdoria, and Lazio, but it will be all strictly business tomorrow evening as both teams will be gunning for maximum points in the first official Derby della Madonnina of the 2015/2016 season.
So far, it's been a Jovetic-show, with the former Fiorentina and Manchester City attacker being responsible for all of Inter's three goals to maintain their perfect start to the season, including one to see off Atalanta and a brace to make sure new-boys Carpi did not snatch a vital point. The Montenegrin international, who has already endeared himself to his new team's fans, will be certainly hoping to keep up his hot streak in front of goal in his first big clash of the season.
Milan
It's often said that one's own words can come back to haunt them, and this certainly rang true for new Milan coach Mihajlovic. Still, the Serbian tactician - who famously said that he would never manage the Rossoneri due to his strong affinity for Inter - will be able to put that all behind him should he get the seven-time Champions League winners back into continental football for next season.
So far, though, he certainly seems to be smoothing things over with his new team's fans and will make even better progress by defeating Inter tomorrow. Unlike the Nerazzurri, Milan did not start their season off as comfortably, losing first to Fiorentina but bouncing back to grind out a 2-1 win over Empoli.
Like their cross-town rivals, Milan have also made some changes in their squad. Although the failed pursuit of Jackson Martinez and Kondogbia was a frustrating time for Rossoneri supporters, the club's executive board have attempted to make amends by bringing in Colombian attacker Carlos Bacca and Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano. The South American duo both earned their first Serie A goal in the victory over Empoli, and have shown their class during their time with Sevilla and Shakhtar Donetsk respectively, where their pace and trickery caused nightmares for opposing defenders.
It will certainly take time for the duo to gain an understanding with each other, but should they manage to click, then Milan followers could be in for a very encouraging season. One signing that definitely raised quite a few eyebrows was the return of Mario Balotelli to the San Siro. Yet, Mihajlovic has decided to take a risk on the enigmatic forward, and his contributions to Milan - a total of 30 goals in 54 appearances - cannot be disregarded. Should things pan out, it looks set to be a win-win situation for both the player and the club, but he is highly unlikely to start tomorrow against his former club.
The Derby della Madonnina is undoubtedly a classic for fans of Italian football that dates back to 1908. Last season, neither Inter nor Milan were able to find a way past each other, and although it has lost some of its glamour in recent times, it's still arguably one of the biggest games of the season for calcio followers as shown in this promotional advert:
The last time anyone earned all three points from this hotly-contested fixture was on May 4, 2014, when a second-half goal from Nigel De Jong was enough to make the red-and-black half of Milan have something to gloat about.
Will Inter continue their good start and make it three wins in a row? Or will Milan start building up some positive momentum of their own?
This game is one that fans of Inter, Milan, and general Italian football followers will obviously not want to miss, so make sure you check out our special Derby della Madonnina page here at LiveSoccerTV.com for all viewing options and times for your specific location.
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