INTER v AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW

A derby early on in the campaign is becoming the norm. Here we are, in the heart of September, swiftly moving towards the first cross-city clash of the 2024/25 season. Inter v AC Milan on matchday 5 in Serie A. A huge clash that, as always, carries a lot of weight and which we are now presenting in our Match Preview:

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
It’s been a difficult start to the season for the Rossoneri, who lost their Champions League opener and go into this derby having not fared well against Inter in recent times. At Milanello, there’s the desire to respond: the team want to pick up a big victory and turn their early season fortunes around. A win would see the Rossoneri climb the table and move level with the Nerazzurri. These have been days filled with intense work and dialogue. Some good news for Fonseca: Maignan is available after coming off with a knock against Liverpool, while Thiaw will also be at the Coach’s disposal. However, Calabria is out due to a muscle strain. Morata is set to lead the line.

"For us, it's an important and difficult match, said Coach Fonseca during his pre-match press conference. "We'll be up against a very good side, but we need to think positively: a win would be worth a lot. There's frustration at the moment, but there is also the conviction of wanting to get out of this situation. I have confidence in the team. We need to have more of the ball to attack better and be punished less, and we also need to make better choices and not give up at the first sign of trouble."

LATEST FROM INTER
The Nerazzurri come into this game on the back of a great European performance that saw them come away with a 0-0 draw against Manchester City in Manchester. The team are in positive spirits, despite the fact they dropped points in Monza last time out in Serie A (a 1-1 draw with a late Dumfries equaliser) and were also held in their opener in Genoa (2-2). The reigning champions currently occupy third place (eight points) and look solid and well-drilled, and the signings of Zieliński and Taremi have only strengthened the squad. Inzaghi will stick to his 3-5-2 formation, with Sommer in goal, Acerbi and Bastoni commanding the defence, Çalhanoğlu and Barella managing the midfield, and Martínez and Thuram providing a huge threat in attack. Dimarco has overcome his muscle problem and will start, while Arnautović is fit enough to be named on the bench.

"We know what the derby represents for our fans," said Simone Inzaghi. "A special Inter will be needed. We mustn’t think about past derbies and will need to be better than them in the details. AC Milan have excellent players and an excellent coach who I met in Rome."

PRE-MATCH STATS

• For the fifth time in six seasons since 2019/20, the first derby showdown of the campaign is set to be played within the first five matchdays. AC Milan are unbeaten in seven of the most recent cross-city clashes played on matchday five (W5, D2), including a 3-2 victory in September 2022.
• Inter and AC Milan are among the three best teams in Serie A this season in terms of goals scored (nine each, the same as Napoli), possession (64.5% for Bologna, 60.5% for the Nerazzurri and 59.2% for the Rossoneri), passing accuracy (90.2% for Juventus, 90.1% for Fonseca’s side and 89.3% for Inzaghi’s men) and moves consisting of at least ten passes and finishing with a shot or a touch in the opposition box (21 for AC Milan, 17 for Juventus and 13 for Inter).
• AC Milan are the team that have scored the most goals through substitutes in 2024/25: three. The Rossoneri also led the way in this regard last season (16).
• In terms of goal contributions, Rafael Leão has only done better against Hellas Verona and Roma (6) than against Inter in Serie A: five (3G+2A). The only time the Portuguese man has been involved in at least three goals in the same match across the top ten European leagues was in the matchday 5 showdown against Inter on 3 September 2022 (two goals and an assist).

WHERE TO WATCH INTER v AC MILAN
In Italy, the game will be live on DAZN. To watch Inter v AC Milan from a different country, please consult the 'AC Milan on TV' page. Follow Matchday on Milan TV: the live will begin at 20:00 CEST until kick-off, with the game being followed by the interviews and Coach Fonseca's press conference. Don't miss out on our coverage via acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App, our official social media channels and WhatsApp.

LATEST FROM SERIE A
Maurizio Mariani will be the referee for the game, which will be his 155th match in Serie A. He's previously taken charge of 22 Rossoneri fixtures (Juventus 0-0 AC Milan in April 2024 the most recent one) and 15 games involving the Nerazzurri (Cremonese 1-2 Inter in January 2023 the last one). The experienced official has already refereed one derby: Inter 1-2 AC Milan in October 2020, when Ibrahimović bagged a brace. Bindoni and Tegoni will be the linesmen, while Ayroldi will perform the role of fourth official. Di Paolo, assisted by Paterna, will oversee VAR. 

Matchday 5 in Serie A kicked off on Friday with Cagliari 0-2 Empoli and Hellas Verona 2-3 Torino. On Saturday, there were the following results: Venezia 2-0 Genoa, Juventus 0-0 Napoli and Lecce 2-2 Parma. Today, the following games will be played: Fiorentina v Lazio (12:30 CEST), Monza v Bologna (15:00 CEST), Roma v Udinese (18:00 CEST) and Inter v AC Milan (20:45 CEST). Atalanta v Como will finish things off at 20:45 CEST on Monday.

This is the current table: Torino* 11; Udinese and Napoli* 10; Juventus* and Empoli* 9; Inter 8; Lazio 7; Hellas Verona* and Atalanta 6; AC Milan, Parma*, Genoa* and Lecce* 5; Venezia* 4; Fiorentina, Monza, Roma and Bologna 3; Como and Cagliari* 2. (* one more game played)

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