This rescheduled Derby Della Madonnina is an intriguing one, while it may not feature the superstars of the game it once had gracing the hallowed pitch of San Siro, this version provides some interesting battles.
The most anticipated duel is the obvious one of Mauro Icardi coming up against the partnership of Alessio Romagnoli and Leo Bonucci. Although the prospect of seeing Riccardo Montolivo (who is touted as starting) taking on Rafinha and Marcelo Brozovic in the midfield may not fill the neutral with excitement, it is where the game will probably be won or lost.
This rescheduled Derby Della Madonnina is an intriguing one, while it may not feature the superstars of the game it once had gracing the hallowed pitch of San Siro, this version provides some interesting battles.
The most anticipated duel is the obvious one of Mauro Icardi coming up against the partnership of Alessio Romagnoli and Leo Bonucci. Although the prospect of seeing Riccardo Montolivo (who is touted as starting) taking on Rafinha and Marcelo Brozovic in the midfield may not fill the neutral with excitement, it is where the game will probably be won or lost.
Can Milan bounce back after losing to Juve?
Milan had been on a great run in the league, winning five in a row until they had to face off against Juventus in the Allianz Stadium. They played well enough in their 3-1 defeat to the Old Lady, fighting back to equalise through a Bonucci header after going down to a Paulo Dybala opener. When Hakan Calhanoglu’s thunderbolt smacked off the crossbar and back out, it was Milan who seemed to be on top. But as the game began to look like they might have a share of the spoils, Juan Cuadrado came off the bench to head in and make it 2-1 before Sami Khedira killed off the tie.
Calabria vs Perisic
Young right-back Davide Calabria has recovered from a difficult period in which he struggled on the pitch, but since his classy display against Roma where he scored a marvellously taken goal, he has been an important member of Gennaro Gattuso’s Milan side. Meanwhile, Ivan Perisic has woken up and remembered that he must fight for his seat on the Croatia plane to Russia for the World Cup. After sleepwalking through Inter games for a few months, he has finally started to reward Luciano Spalletti and the Inter fans for sticking with him. He has a goal and two assists in his last two games and it should be interesting clash between himself and Calabria down that wing.
Romagnoli/Bonucci vs Icardi
The partnership of Romagnoli and Bonucci is starting to look like there is hope for the future after some shaky moments earlier in the season. Four clean sheets in a row before the Juve game was proof, the 3-2 win over Chievo featured Cristian Zapata alongside Bonucci in a glimpse into the past and the comic defending that blighted Milan for far too long.
On the other hand, Mauro Icardi has rediscovered where he had left his scoring boots as he has scored six times in his last two matches, including a poker against Sampdoria. The Argentine hitman had gone his previous four games without a goal and had netted just once in his last eight in all competitions. Today’s match-up of a cunning fox in the box up against two highly-rated defenders should give us a good study into a striker’s movement inside the area.
Conclusion…
Inter need the three points here to cement their position in the top four and the Champions League places for next season, while Milan even if they win will still be five points behind their city rivals. It’s do or die here for Gattuso and his men, as a loss here will pretty much spell the end of their outside hopes of qualifying for next year’s Champions League. Expect the game to played with enough pressure and incentive riding on it to ensure that this will be a more memorable Derby that we have had in recent times.
Words: Ciro Di Brita – @Ciruzzo36