Italy Round 4

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Inter vs AC Milan Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Inter:
Sommer; Bastoni, De Vrij, Darmian; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram

Milan:
Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Kjaer, Hernandez; Krunic, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Okafor

The Milan derby, also known as 'Derby della Madonnina', is one of the most awaited encounters in world football, and both teams display great attitude in the match. It is one of only few city derbies that are always played in the same stadium. The venue is named "San Siro" when Milan are the hosts, or "Giuseppe Meazza" when Inter are the hosts. It is called "Derby della Madonnina" in honour of one of the main sights in the city of Milan, the statue of the Virgin Mary on the top of the Duomo, which is often referred to as the "Madonnina" ("Little Madonna" in Italian).

The first derby match between Milan and Inter was held in the final of the Chiasso Cup of 1908, a football tournament played in Canton Ticino (Switzerland), on 18 October. The Rossoneri won 2:1. A total of 237 official matches are played between these two sides over the years. Inter have won 89 matches, Milan 79 and 69 games finished with draw. Counting only the Serie A matches, the Nerazzurri are better again. Since 1929, they have 68 wins, while Milan won 54 times. The points were shared on 56 occasions. Both teams have the same number of titles (19 each), but AC Milan has more European Cups/Champion's Leagues (7 to Inter's 3). Interesting to be mention, Inter and AC Milan met once again last season in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. The tie was their first European derby in 18 years. Inter were more successful, defeating Milan 2:0 in the first leg and 1:0 in the second, reaching the final.

Both teams had a perfect start of the season with three victories in the opening three matches. Inter managed to beat 4:0 Fiorentina, plus Cagliari and Monza, both with 2:0. The Nerazzurri are the only team in the top five European leagues yet to concede a goal. Stefan de Vrij has been the key player in defense and most deserved for excellent record. On the other end of the pitch, they have scored eight goals, with Lautaro Martinez netting five of them. He is ready to continue his scoring show after featuring for only five minutes of Argentina's qualifier against Bolivia. Coach Simone Inzaghi has almost all players available, only Stefano Sensi is sidelined through injury. Francesco Acerbi (muscular) and Juan Cuadrado (tendinitis) are minor doubts due to injury - both are likely to feature here.

As I wrote above, AC Milan also registered three wins in the first three rounds, collecting 9 points. However, they conceded against Torino (won 4:1) and Roma (won 2:1) and currently sit on the second position due to inferior goal-difference. But something else is a problem for coach Stefano Pioli. Two key players are not in contention for derby. Defender Fikayo Tomori was sent off during Milan’s victory away to Roma after receiving a second yellow card and has therefore been given a standard one-match ban. In addition, Olivier Giroud limped off injured on international duty. The 37-year-old striker started France's 2:0 win over the Republic of Ireland but lasted just 25 minutes. Giroud has had an impressive start of the season with four goals and one assist in the opening three games. Noah Okafor could lead the line.

Inter vs AC Milan Prediction:

Inter are closer to the victory in this derby. The Nerazzurri are yet to concede a goal in Serie A. Milan are without Tomori and Giroud which is another reason for my pick. There are some news about the Frenchman's fast recovery, but I doubt he will be able to give the maximum, even if he play. Giroud turns 37 years later this month and speedy recovery could be a big problem. Finally, Inter have a player able to make a difference in derby - Lautaro Martinez. He will seek to improve his tally of eight goals against Milan in all competitions. Only Giuseppe Meazza and Stefano Nyers have scored more in Inter's derby history.

Inter vs AC Milan Pick: Inter to win @ 2.10 with Pinnacle