Preview: Inter vs Milan
With Juventus losing to Hellas Verona in a shocking 2-1 defeat after the Gialloblu fought back to clinch all three points, Inter will be that much fired up to pick up all three points against cross-town rivals AC Milan in the much-anticipated Derby della Madonnina on Sunday. For Antonio Conte, it will be his first ever Milan Derby, although he's no stranger to facing the Rossoneri. However, he has never lost to Milan in his entire managerial career, with seven victories and three draws so far, and he certainly does not intend to lose that record this Sunday.
Having made some notable signings over the winter transfer window - with Christian Eriksen, Ashley Young, and Victor Moses all coming in - Conte will be looking to mount a major challenge against his former side Juventus for the Scudetto this season. Inter were in solid form for the first half of the campaign, only to start slipping up recently which has allowed Maurizio Sarri's side to close the gap and overtake them. Nonetheless, the race is still really tight, and as evidenced by La Vecchia Signora's recent form, which has seen them lose two of their last three games, they are not infallible. Inter, who have been stuttering recently with draws in three of their last five games, will want to take full advantage of every single slip-up Juventus will make if they want to have a chance to win their first Scudetto since 2010.
As for Milan, Stefano Pioli's side find themselves in a rather disappointing tenth spot heading into this match. They're unbeaten in their last five games but ended up having to settle for a very frustrating one-all draw with a Verona side who have been on a kick lately - the same Verona team who pulled off that shock 2-1 win over Juventus earlier on Saturday.
Still, Milan are only a few points away from a Europa League spot, so if they can start stringing some good results together, they just may get their season back on track. Rossoneri fans, of course, will be looking forward to seeing how veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic fares in the upcoming Derby della Madonnina. He may be 38 years old and clearly is a short-term solution for a team desperate to paper over some huge cracks, but at the very least, he's guaranteed to grab some goals here and there between now and May and maybe even one against his former side Inter as well.
Team news: Inter vs Milan
Inter: The Nerazzurri have a few people out due to suspension for this fixture, including star striker Lautaro Martinez as well as Alessandro Bastoni and backup goalkeeper Tommaso Berni. In addition, Conte will be really concerned about star shot-stopper Samir Handanovic, who has a small fracture on his hand and missed the last game against Udinese - but given the significance of this match, the Slovenian international will naturally try to see if he can play through the pain barrier to feature here. Meanwhile, both Borja Valero and Roberto Gagliardini may be in doubt for this fixture.
New signings like Eriksen and Young could also feature in their first ever Derby della Madonnina as well.
Milan: Fortunately for fans, star striker Ibrahimovic has recovered from a nasty bout of flu that kept him out from the last round and will feature here. Thus, Milan don't appear to have any personnel concerns ahead of this game, with Lucas Biglia seemingly having recovered from injury to potentially feature on the bench.
Match facts: Inter vs Milan
- Inter are undefeated in their last 15 matches in Serie A
- Milan are unbeaten in nine of their last 10 games in the league
- However, the Rossoneri haven't beaten Inter in the Derby since January 2016 (3-0)
- Since then, they've gone D3 L4 (including losing three in a row)
Where to watch the Derby della Madonnina featuring Inter vs Milan on February 9
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
