Thiago Silva does not agree that Leonardo was a traitor by crossing the Milan divide. “He wasn't the one to leave. It was the right decision.”

Many in the Rossoneri camp were shocked when their former teammate and Coach opted to join rivals Inter and will come face to face for the first time in tonight's derby.

“I have nothing against him and I think it was the right decision to accept Inter's offer,” said fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva.

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There are still tactical uncertainties in the Milan derby, as Leonardo considers Goran Pandev in a trident attack, while the Rossoneri have a midfield mystery.

This evening the Scudetto showdown at San Siro will be without the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lucio.

Inter are thought to be considering a change of approach, as during training Leonardo tested a 4-2-1-3 system with Wesley Sneijder supporting a trident of Goran Pandev, Samuel Eto'o and Giampaolo Pazzini.

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Milan legend Paolo Maldini reveals what's going in the minds of the two squads ahead of the Derby della Madonnina.

The former Rossoneri captain played in 56 derbies, but it has been many years since the fixture has been a Scudetto battle.

“This situation reminds me of the 1993 derby,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“We were at the top of the table and Inter were making their fightback. It ended 1-1, we kept them at the right distance and won the Scudetto.

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There are reports Milan are targeting Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill to be Alessandro Nesta's heir.

Nesta has hinted he will hang up his boots at the end of the season and the Rossoneri are seeking a long-term replacement.

It's suggested England player Cahill could be the man to fill those boots, especially as his contract expires in 2012.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Bayern Munich have also been linked with the 25-year-old, who is valued at around €20m.

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Gianluca Zambrotta is a shock starter with Kevin-Prince Boateng, Alexandre Pato and Robinho, while Inter unleash the four-man attack with Goran Pandev.

As only two points separate them at the top of the table, tonight's match is worth local rivalry, the leadership and probably also the Scudetto.

Even a draw could be decisive, as Napoli are ready to close in on the Milanese giants.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suspended, joining Andrea Pirlo, Massimo Ambrosini, Daniele Bonera, Pippo Inzaghi and Marek Jankulovski in the stands.

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Max Allegri believes the derby triumph is “a psychological turning point,” hailed Clarence Seedorf and Alexandre Pato, but told off Antonio Cassano.

“It is not the game that wins the Scudetto, even if we've given our table a good boost,” he said of Milan's 3-0 victory over rivals Inter.

“After the last few weeks this success can be a psychological turning point. We were too slow in the first half and didn't finish off our moves, while we did better after the break.

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Alexandre Pato was the brace hero in the derby and used it to answer his critics. “Finally I was decisive in a big match.”

The young striker has been at Milan since the age of 17 and still has a long way to go in his career, but will look back on the double in tonight's 3-0 victory over Inter.

“I gave a strong response to my critics with two important goals,” he told MilanNews.it.

“I always let criticism wash over me and played every single game with the intention of doing better.

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Inter captain Javier Zanetti concedes “we could've done without that defeat,” and accused Antonio Cassano of “diving.”

Milan emerged with a 3-0 victory in tonight's derby thanks to an Alexandre Pato brace and late Cassano penalty.

“I don't know what the others may think, but I know what the team thinks: it's true, we could've done without this defeat, but now we have to look ahead,” Zanetti told Inter Channel.

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The legendary Gianni Rivera has unsurprisingly tipped Milan to triumph in Saturday's Derby della Madonnina.

The 67-year-old Golden Boy won everything with Milan in the `60s and `70s, and feels Max Allegri's side still have an edge on their rivals.

Milan have a two-point lead on Inter in Serie A with eight games remaining this season.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: "Right now Milan are the favourites because they are ahead in the League table.

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Max Allegri admits that Milan go into the derby with just a point from two games, but claims the beauty of football is that everything can change.

Milan have a two-point lead at the top of Serie A and can be overtaken if they suffer defeat to Inter at San Siro on Saturday evening.

"We've taken a point from our last two games, but football is beautiful because everything can change," Allegri said.

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