Inter will be without captain and main goalscorer Lautaro Martínez, a sidelining that matters as Inter sit 10 points clear of AC Milan in the Serie A title race. The match kicks off at 7: 45 p. m. BST (1: 45 p. m. ET), and the Milan vs inter result has immediate implications for local pride and the run toward a 21st Scudetto.
Milan Vs Inter: Inter Team News and Possible Starting XI
Inter will miss Lautaro Martínez with a calf injury and face doubt over Marcus Thuram, who has been unwell in the build-up; Francesco Pio Esposito could be handed a start up front if Thuram is unavailable. In midfield, Hakan Calhanoglu’s condition may prompt a change with Henrikh Mkhitaryan ready to come in, while Nicolò Barella and wing-back Federico Dimarco are expected to provide drive and creativity. Denzel Dumfries has returned to full training and is in contention, though his minutes may be managed depending on fitness. Possible Inter starting XI listed in previews is: Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Esposito.
Inter’s Form: Unbeaten 15-Match Stretch, Coppa Italia Draw and Recent Wins
Inter arrive having dropped just two points in their last 15 league games and are unbeaten in 15 matches, with 14 wins that stretch including eight straight. That domestic consistency sits alongside a frustrating 0–0 first-leg Coppa Italia semi-final draw with Como in which Inter failed to record a single shot on target. The club also suffered a shocking elimination by Bodo Glimt in the Champions League, yet in Serie A they beat Genoa 2–0 last week; Federico Dimarco, who leads Serie A with 14 assists, scored his seventh goal in that win and Hakan Calhanoglu netted his ninth from the penalty spot, with both available for Sunday.
AC Milan’s Response: Recent Results, Key Attackers and Title Outlook
Milan enter the derby as the last team to beat Inter in November, when Christian Pulisic scored a 54th-minute winner, and they have posted a six-match unbeaten run against their city rivals. Across recent league form, Milan are 5-1-4 over their past 10 matches and have totaled 16 goals in 11 matches since the start of January, an average of 1. 45 goals per match; both sides have conceded seven goals in those 11 matches. Milan’s results against lower-half teams — including an away defeat to Parma and draws with Genoa and Fiorentina since the start of the year that cost seven points — are noted as factors that may undermine their pursuit of the title. Pulisic is nicked up and may not play despite starting in last week’s 2-0 win over Cremonese; he has eight league goals. Rafael Leao, Milan’s listed leader on goals with nine, scored against Cremonese and is set to play, while Christopher Nkunku (five Serie A goals) is available if Pulisic cannot go.
Kickoff is confirmed for 7: 45 p. m. BST (1: 45 p. m. ET) on Sunday, 8th March.
