On one side, Milan, which hasn’t lost the derby in over a year and a half; on the other, Inter, which hasn’t won the city rivalry since April 2024. According to Corriere dello Sport, this is the statistic that best captures the current mood on both sides of Milan on the eve of tonight’s match.
In the four seasons under Cardinale‘s management, Milan has always finished the league behind the Nerazzurri, collecting only a Supercoppa compared to Inter’s 2 league titles, 2 Coppa Italia trophies, and 2 Supercoppas. At the start of this fifth season, the situation hasn’t changed: the Rossoneri are already trailing by 7 points in the standings.
A win tonight would allow Milan to relaunch itself in the title race. The Rossoneri owner greeted the fans as he left Milanello with clear words: “We will take the field very determined and focused.” Recent derby results favor the Rossoneri, who haven’t lost to Inter since April 22, 2024 — that night handed the match, the league title, and the second star to Lautaro and his teammates — and since then they have collected 5 wins and 2 draws in the city derbies.
However, winning the derby has never guaranteed success in the league. Last year was the clearest example: a double Rossoneri victory in the city rivalry, but Inter finished the league 11 points ahead of Napoli in second and even 17 ahead of Milan, which dropped to fifth place.
On the Nerazzurri side, the urgency is to get back to winning the city rivalry. Inter’s last derby win dates back to that night in April 2024, which also marked the sixth consecutive victory in the city rivalry for Lautaro and company — a streak that included a Supercoppa and a Champions League semifinal. At that moment, Inter’s dominance seemed consolidated, but the balance of power has often shifted in direct encounters. As Corriere dello Sport points out, there is now a sense in the Nerazzurri camp that this negative streak needs to be broken.
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