Inter Milan vs AC Milan: Serie A Match Preview, Predicted Line-ups, and Fantasy XI

Inter Milan vs AC Milan is next as Coppa Italia champions will face off against reigning Serie A holders in the 178th Milan Derby in Serie A.

Inter Milan vs AC Milan: Match Preview:

Both teams are some way off league leaders Napoli and cannot afford to fall any further behind. Inter Milan and AC Milan have been inconsistent this season, with the Rossoneri, in particular, failing to impress since the turn of the year.

It will be the second time both sides will face off against each other this month. Inter were comfortably the better side in their Supercoppa Italiana clash in the middle east, winning 3-0 against their hapless opponents. The reverse fixture in Serie A ended in Milan's favour by a 3-2 margin. And the result on Sunday is likely to decide who gets the bragging rights for the season.

Inter prepared for the tie with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarter-final earlier this week. They will be keen to keep that run going and hand their arch-rivals more reasons to worry.

MILANO IS LOADING ⏳⚫️🔵#ForzaInter #DerbyMilano #InterMilan pic.twitter.com/GFEZK5Na6k

— Inter (@Inter) February 3, 2023

Milan, on the other hand, have picked up just two points from their last four Serie A games and were subjected to a humiliating 5-2 loss in front of their fans against Sassuolo at the weekend. Stefano Pioli's men are spiralling and could see it spin out of control if nothing changes soon.

There is no better solution than to win the Derby Della Madonnina and inspire confidence within the squad. It could not just address Milan's slide but also stop them from potentially falling out of the top four altogether. At the very least, Pioli will expect his players to show more desire than they did in Saudi Arabia.

Team News:

Inter Milan:

The Inter Milan boss will be glad to have Stefan De Vrij and Nicolo Barella both back from suspension. Milan Skriniar missed Inter's last two competitive games but is expected to be restored for the clash on Sunday. The Inter star's future is still a matter of contention, and he could be denied the armband when the teams walk out on the night.

Marcelo Brozovic is also back in training, but it remains to be seen if Inzaghi will throw him in from the off. The Croat can control the tempo of the game, but his lack of match fitness gives the Inter boss something to think about.

AC Milan:

The defending champions are not just in poor form but also have several injuries to contend with. First XI stars Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori and Ismael Bennacer will all be unavailable for the game.

🗝️ #InterMilan 🗝️
A San Siro è tempo di Derby 🔜
Scopriamo dove si potrebbe decidere la sfida 🔎#SempreMilan

— AC Milan (@acmilan) February 4, 2023

Morale is poor in the Milan squad amid reports of infighting. But Stefano Pioli has downplayed the allegations and sees the game against Inter as an opportunity to put things right. The Milan boss will be without a fit-again Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is not completely set to take the field just yet.

Inter Milan vs AC Milan: Head to Head:

Inter Milan have a slight historical edge over AC Milan and have won 86 out of the 234 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Inter Milan's 79 victories.

AC Milan have lost 67 out of their 178 matches against Inter Milan in the Serie A – they have not suffered more defeats against any other opponent in the competition.

🎞️ Historic Highlights 🎞️

Gattuso's shot ricochets off Ricky: derby win 🤩

🔝 @KAKA decide la stracittadina 🤩 #InterMilan #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/Yt0VLGbGo5

— AC Milan (@acmilan) February 4, 2023

AC Milan have won their last two matches against Inter Milan in the Serie A and could secure three such victories in a row for the first time since 2004.

AC Milan won the reverse fixture by a 3-2 margin and could complete a league double over Inter Milan for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.

Predicted Line-ups:

Inter Milan Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Skriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Dzeko

AC Milan Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Tatarusanu; Calabria, Kalulu, Kjaer, Hernandez; Pobega, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Leao; Giroud

IM vs ACM: Fantasy XI:

Onana; Skriniar,Kjaer, Hernandez;Barella, Calhanoglu, Tonali; Leao; Giroud, Martinez, Dzeko.