AC Milan - FC Internazionale predictions and free betting tips [22/04/2024]

On Monday 22nd April, within the framework of the 33rd round of Italian Serie A, AC Milan welcomes Inter Milan to their home ground. For the first time in history, "Nerazzurri" have the opportunity to claim the title in a derby, while "Rossoneri" were knocked out of the Europa League quarter-finals last Thursday.

Predicted Lineups

AC Milan: Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Gabbia, Hernandez; Bennacer, Rinder; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud.
Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, DiMarco; Thuram, Martinez.

AC Milan

Although this season, AC Milan dropped out early from the Scudetto race, Stefano Pioli's team solidly secured the 2nd place in the Serie A league table. With a 14-point lead over fifth-placed Roma, qualification for the Champions League is beyond question. Since the 4:2 defeat in Monza in mid-February, the "Rossoneri" haven’t tasted defeat in the championship (5 wins and 2 draws). However, last weekend they unexpectedly slipped (3:3) in a duel with struggling Sassuolo. This disappointing result followed 5 consecutive triumphs - over Lazio (0:1), Empoli (1:0), Verona (1:3), Fiorentina (1:2), and Lecce (3:0). Last week, AC Milan lost to Roma 2:1, resulting in being knocked out of the Europa League quarter-finals (after losing the first leg 0:1). Mancini and Dybala put the "Wolves" ahead in the first half, to which the "Rossoneri" could only respond with an accurate shot from Gabbia.

It should be noted that the hosts occupy only the fourth place overall in terms of points scored at home (35 in 15 home matches, 26 goals scored, 8 conceded). AC Milan's defender Tiau, who received another yellow card last weekend, is suspended; centre-backs Kalulu and Kjaer and reserve goalkeeper Mirante are injured. Pulisic (10 goals and 6 assists) and Giroud (13 goals and 8 assists), who rested in the game against Sassuolo ahead of the return leg of the Europa League quarterfinals, should return to the starting line-up on Monday evening. They will be supported on the left of the attack by the energetic Rafael Leao (7 goals and 8 assists), whilst English midfielder Loftus-Cheek (6 goals) will control the team's play in the centre of the field.

Inter Milan

Having no competitors in the domestic arena this season, Inter Milan has maintained its position at the top of the Serie A table for several months now. Currently, "Nerazzurri" have a 14-point lead over their competitors and, should they win on Monday evening, they could celebrate winning the Scudetto in front of the rival tifosi. Since the beginning of the campaign, Simone Inzaghi's team has only lost once, which was back in late September. Last weekend, the nominal guests drew 2:2 with Cagliari thanks to goals from Marcus Thuram and Hakan Calhanoglu. This setback came after two victories - against Empoli (2:0) and Udinese (1:2). At present, Inter Milan have scored in the last 40 Serie A matches, setting a new club record. The "Nerazzurri" could potentially exceed Juventus' record (of scoring in 44 consecutive rounds) by the end of this campaign.

Having won the Italian Supercup earlier this season, Inter Milan disappointed in the Champions League, where they were eliminated by Atletico Madrid in the round of 16. Experienced Juan Cuadrado is still recovering from a serious injury and will miss the derby, marking Inter Milan's only absences. Central defender Pavard and Serie A top scorer Lautaro Martinez (23 league goals) have served their suspensions in the last round and will be in the starting line-up. The latter should be paired upfront with Marcus Thuram (11 league goals and 7 assists). It's worth noting that the Argentine forward is Inter's third-best derby scorer with eight goals - Giuseppe Meazza, after whom the San Siro is officially named, leads with 12 goals.

Head to Head

Inter Milan has won each of the last five derbies, already setting a record, with the first leg resulting in a 5:1 victory for the "Nerazzurri".

Match prediction: Milan - Inter Milan

A significant moment in the 114-year history of rivalry between the Milan clubs could occur on Monday if Inter claims the Scudetto in a head-to-head battle with their arch-enemies. It's worth noting that the signs are definitely there: "Nerazzurri" will be physically fresher, and the current form of the nominal guests is nothing short of impressive. AC Milan appears to be in crisis and deservedly dropped out of the Europa League. My prediction is a victory for the nominal guests.