AC Milan to go a dozen games unbeaten in derby
Sunday evening's gigantic Serie A clash between fierce rivals AC Milan and Inter at the San Siro Stadium could see a 10 point gap open up between the sides after just a dozen domestic matches. Stefano Pioli's men have been near faultless in the league, dropping just two points thus far. Even so, they are still not top of the pile by virtue of goal difference being in Napoli's favour, and they'll want to maintain the pressure with another triumph. Read our preview here:
Rafael's fine artistry
The home draw against Porto in the Champions League in midweek represented the first point in four group games for I Rossoneri, and their chances of remaining in European competition look very slim. This is of course in complete contrast to their fortunes in Italy during 2021/2022, where they have yet to taste defeat as they pursue their dreams of a first scudettto in over a decade. Pioli is likely to be without six first-team members for the derby, with Croatian forward Ante Rebić a huge doubt. Nevertheless, the 4-2-3-1 shape is well-drilled, with the timeless Zlatan Ibrahimović still leading the line. The triumvirate behind him are all having good campaigns, most notably the versatile Rafael Leão. Some 17 years Zlatan's junior, the Portuguese left-sided winger has hit four goals in nine starts, and the threat he poses on the counter attack cannot be ignored. Elsewhere, Pierre Kalulu will continue to deputise at full-back for Theo Hernández, and it is a similar story between the sticks - Romanian veteran Ciprian Tătărușanu has deputised well in Mike Maignan's absence, and can often be counted on when facing penalties.
Džek him out
Another veteran who is having a brilliant campaign is Bosnian captain Edin Džeko. Signed in the summer from AS Roma, he is rolling back the years in tandem with the more sprightly Lautaro Martínez in Simone Inzaghi's 3-5-2. Indeed, only a few draws have kept them from being closer to the top two, with the target man amongst the top scorers in the division. The head coach has a full complement to choose from for the vital derby; Ivan Perišić represents a very attack-minded option at left wing-back, but his work rate is a vital cog in maintaining their shape and attacking intent, ensuring that simply getting the ball up to the strike partnership is far from their only tactic. Nicolò Barella has been pulling all the strings in midfield, contributing five assists already.
Dare to Zlatan
It all augurs well for a fascinating contest between the two giants of European football. Even with several first team members missing, it hasn't hampered AC Milan's domestic efforts one iota. The margins are thin, but bet365 have surprisingly long odds of 3.25 on a 'home' win, based on the combination of having a tighter defence and being more ruthless on the break.
