WOMEN, INTER v AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW

An away match unlike any other, and a game that stands apart. Matchday 3 of Serie A Femminile is fast approaching, promising excitement. Bakker’s squad is gearing up for their first Derby of the season. Inter vs Milan offers far more than just three points, it’s also a crucial opportunity for the Rossonere to turn around their challenging start to the campaign. The clash kicks off on Sunday, 22 September at 15:45 CEST at Inter’s home ground. Let's break down the key storylines ahead of this highly anticipated encounter.

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Regroup and restart in pursuit of their first win of the season, that’s the Rossonere's objective ahead of the Derby. Determination and courage will be key ingredients as AC Milan looks to bounce back from two consecutive defeats in the league. Although the matches unfolded differently over 90 minutes, the results were the same.  Bakker’s AC Milan now needs a change of pace. Against Fiorentina, they started well, but after Ijeh's goal, the Rossonere lost ground, leading to the Viola's comeback. The final reaction wasn't enough, and this time, they’ll need even more to secure their first points of the season. The motivation is there, now is the time to make a decisive shift.

These were the words of Bakker on the eve of the derby: "Derbies are always very special matches. For us, this challenge must represent another step in our growth. We worked well throughout the week, and I am confident".

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The Nerazzurre, under Coach Gianpiero Piovani, have made a fantastic start. First, a 5-0 home win against Sampdoria, followed by a 1-4 victory away at Napoli, propelling them to the top of the table. Nine goals scored and only one conceded highlight Inter’s strong form and the confidence they carry into the upcoming Derby in front of their home fans. From a 3-5-1-1 in the opener to a 4-3-1-2 in the second match, Piovani has changed both formation and personnel, making four starting changes over the first two matchdays while receiving positive responses from the team on both occasions. Cambiaghi and Serturini have been standout performers, each scoring twice across the games against Sampdoria and Napoli.

PRE-MATCH STATS

• AC Milan and Inter have never drawn any of their 12 Serie A encounters (eight wins for AC Milan, four for Inter). Since the introduction of three points for a win (1995/96), no other fixture has been played more often without ever ending in a draw although Picenum vs. Torino and Pisa vs. Torino are also tied with 12 matches.
• AC Milan currently has the largest negative gap between goals scored and Expected Goals (xG) in this season's league: -2.03 (1 goal scored versus 3.03 xG). Inter, on the other hand, ranks second behind Juventus (5.82) for the largest positive difference between goals scored and xG: 4.15 (9 goals scored with 4.85 xG).
• AC Milan leads the league for the highest percentage of successful crosses from open play in the first two matchdays: 29%. Inter ranks fifth with 23%.
• Angelica Soffia has won 18 duels in this league, at least five more than any other player and six more than Inter’s best in this category, Henrietta Csiszár (12).

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN ON TV
In Italy, Inter v AC Milan will be broadcast live on DAZN and Rai Sport from 15:45 CEST. Don't miss the coverage on acmilan.com, the Rossonere's Instagram account and the AC Milan Official App where the full match replay will also be available on demand from the following day.

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The referee for Inter vs.  AC Milan will be Giorgio Bozzetto from Bergamo. Assisting him will be linesmen Davide Rignanese (Rimini) and Matteo Cardona (Catania), with Marco Melloni from Modena serving as the fourth official.

Matchday 3 kicked off on Friday with Napoli 1-0 Sassuolo. On Saturday at 15:00 CEST, Lazio takes on Juve, while three games are scheduled for Sunday: Como vs. Roma at 12:30 CEST, Inter vs. AC Milan at 15:45 CEST, and Fiorentina vs. Sampdoria at 18:00 CEST.

The Serie A Femminile eBay table: Inter 6; Juventus 6; Fiorentina 6; Como and Napoli* 3; Lazio 2; Roma 2; Sassuolo* 1; Sampdoria 1; AC Milan 0. (* = played one game more)

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