AC Milan vs Inter

January 30, 2016
By: Milos Markovic

Highlight game of the Serie A round 22 is set to take place on Sunday when AC Milan and Inter lock horns in the Derby della Madonnina.

Mihajlovic (not) in the clear

The Serbian tactician has been under scrutiny since his arrival at AC Milan, but Sinisa Mihajlovic showed great resilience and did not allow media speculation to disrupt his work. Former bombardier feeds off his criticism and it appears that he has finally managed to grab ground beneath his feet. With his side on a five-match positive stretch in all competitions, win over Alessandria was their third in 2016. Mario Balotelli brought a triumph for his team from the penalty spot and his goal will be a huge morale boost after a lengthy lay-off. AC Milan have made a successful push back towards the top five in the Serie A standings as they stand two points away from AS Roma in the last European slot. Inter are seven points in front of Mihajlovic’s men and the Sunday derby will be a good opportunity to close the gap behind city rivals. The two sides last met in a friendly in November and AC Milan will be hoping for a similar outcome, considering they have won that duel.

Hosts will have to do without Diego Lopez who is injured and out of favour with the Serbian manager, but also without Jeremy Menez and Rodrigo Ely who are also unavailable through injuries.

Mancini losing his grip

Roberto Mancini has started the season in fantastic fashion as his team opened the current campaign on a high. Five wins in a row have had the fans hoping for the title, but Inter are in transition and it is still early to talk about silverware. Mancini did manage to forge a competitive squad and build a solid foundation, but his machine seems to be running out of steam. Only two wins in 2016 are insufficient and disappointing for the fans, who are worried with their team’s chronic lack of firepower. Inter only scored five goals in as many games and even Roberto Mancini had plenty to say about his strikers’ inability to score goals. The Italian manager is angry and he was fuming after Inter’s Coppa Italia 3-0 loss to Juventus since his players were unable to convert clear-cut opportunities and get on the scoresheet. With the team’s atmosphere at its low, Mancini is faced with a tough task of lifting the spirits in time for the Derby della Madonnina. Nerazzurri are six points behind league leaders Napoli and another set-back could throw them out of the title race for good.

Roberto Mancini will at least be pleased to hear that Ivan Perisic will be the only unavailable player for the Sunday match. The Croatia winger has distorted the ankle and will be forced to sit out through the game.

Verdict

Games between two city rivals have never been the most exciting affairs. Low on goals, Derby della Madonnina matches are close-knit encounters often solved by one particular moment of brilliance. Both side will be preoccupied with protecting their own goal and that is something we should take into account when thinking about the Sunday game.

Top pick: Under 1.5 goals    3.25 (9/4) @Bet365

Alternative pick 1: Home win    2.63 (13/8) @BetFred

Alternative pick 2: AC Milan to win to nil    4.4 (17/5) @BetVictor

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