AC Milan vs Inter Milan Preview, Prediction, Team News & Lineups | Serie A 2026

Derby della Madonnina is the star event of this weekend as AC Milan play rivals in the city of Milan, Inter Milan, in a very important Serie A match.

Although Inter seem to be rolling towards the Scudetto, the derby will be considered by Milan as a last chance to slacken down the tempo of their competitors towards the title. After all, a history, pride, and possibly, the championship is at stake, Sunday will be an exciting match at San Siro.

Match Preview

The Final Chance of Milan to Shatter the Title of Inter.

In the case of AC Milan, the derby is a situation of great importance to the team. Rossoneri is currently 10 points behind the Inter who are the leaders in the league and as such, failure to win would actually turn off their chances of catching up with their competitors.

The most recent match between these two clubs in the Serie A, saw Milan win by a very slim margin by a goal by Christian Pulisic. This time around, it is hoped that Milan fans will be getting another decisive performance of the American winger in a match against Milan this weekend.

Milan goes into the derby with a certain degree of confidence after having won their previous league match 2-0 against Cremonese. Strahinja Pavlovic and Rafael Leao goals brought late victory into the game.

On the defensive side, Milan has been quite stable in the recent past. The Rossoneri has only conceded four goals in their past six matches, and this indicates the increased stability in their backline.

Nevertheless, their domestic composition is an issue. Milan have not won their past two matches in the Serie A in San Siro which they will have to do better against the league leaders.

Making towards the Scudetto.

On the other hand, the Inter Milan come to the derby in a dominant situation at the top of the table.

The Nerazzurri have been very consistent under the management of Cristian Chivu and they are 10 points ahead of the top of the Serie A.

The Inter have not been feeble abroad either. The team has not lost their nine consecutive league matches on the road which reveals their capability to provide results at the hostile conditions.

Despite the draw that Inter had with Como in the Coppa Italia 0 goals to 0, the team is still one of the threatening attackers in Italy. Over the competitions in the past six games, the Nerazzurri have been able to score nine goals with an average of 1.5 goals a game.

A win at San Siro would virtually ensure their supremacy in this season and bring them still a step closer to the Serie A championship.

Head to Head AC Milan vs Inter Milan.

The two Milan giants have had competitive meetings in recent times.

November 2025: Inter 0–1 AC Milan

It has resulted in close matches following a number of recent clashes.

Taking an even longer look at their history with each other:

In the recent meetings, AC Milan has won approximately 67 percent.

Those matches have been scored on 16 goals.

The mean of goals per match is 2.67.

Even with the superiority of Inter this season, Milan have a history of performing well in the recent derby matches.

Team News

AC Milan Team News

This is a critical derby game that Milan can do a few adjustments.

Questions are raised about the fitness of Christian Pulisic who is yet to recover after an injury. In case he is not available, Christopher Nkunku might be given a starting position in the attack.

Matteo Gabbia and Davide Bartesaghi are also still left with defensive doubts.

AC Milan Possible Lineup (3-5-2)

Goalkeeper: Mike Maignan

Defenders: Fikayo Tomori, Koni De Winter, Strahinja Pavlovic.

Midfielders Alexis Saelemaekers, Youssouf Fofana, Luka Modrić, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupiñan.

Strikers: Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao.

Inter Milan Team News

Their captain and top striker Lautaro Martínez is also out of action due to an injury hence Inter will be without him.

Fitness of forward Ange-Yoan Bonny who has a calf problem is also an issue.

Inter Milan Possible Lineup (3-5-2)

Goalkeeper: Yann Sommer

Defenders: Yann Aurel Bisseck, Manuel Akanji, Alessandro Bastoni.

Midfielders: Luis Henrique, Nicollo Barella, Hakan Calhanooglu, Piotr Zieliinski, federico Dimarco.

Forwards Marcus Thuram, Francesco Pio Esposito.

Key Players to Watch

Rafael Leão (AC Milan)

Milan is still headed by the Portuguese star who is their most dangerous player in the attack position. He is always a threat on the left flank due to his pace, dribbling skills and creativity.

Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)

Pulusic should again be decisive, should he be fit. He was the one who scored the winning goal in the last league encounter of the two sides.

Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)

The absence of Lautaro Martinez will leave Thuram with a huge burden of attacking duties in the case of Inter.

Nicolò Barella (Inter Milan)

The energy, passing and control of midfield battles is the reason why Barella is among the most influential players in the Inter squad.

AC Milan vs Inter Milan Betting.

The Derby della Madonnina is very few steps short of a disappointment and this is a battle that should be as fierce.

AC Milan have proved to be able to conquer their opponents but Inter have been consistent throughout the season and they are good away and thus slight favorites going into this game.

Should Inter win, the race to the title in the Serie A may be virtually finished.

Predicted Score

AC Milan 1–2 Inter Milan

The aggressive nature of Inter and their momentum may be decisive when they take one step forward towards the Scudetto.