AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has described the derby against Inter as a tough match but one that his side must relish playing in.
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Milan are looking to record a league double over Inter for the first time since 2010-11 when they went on to win the Scudetto. A win tonight would see the gap narrowed to seven points, but Inter naturally will remain the strong favourites to go on and lift their third title this decade.
Christian Pulisic got the only goal of the last meeting back in November, capitalising on a rebound from an Alexis Saelemaekers shot. Mike Maignan saved a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty in the second half too to affirm his hero status on the night.
Allegri chose to make one change to the line-up from the team that beat Cremonese, with Pervis Estupinan replacing Davide Bartesaghi who is not at 100%. The coach spoke to DAZN before kick-off, and MilanNews relayed his words.
Does anything change with Thuram’s absence?
“It doesn’t change anything at all. Bonny and Esposito are excellent players. It’s a great match to play, but it’s a tough one. They’re very strong, and the table shows it. We’ll see if we can play well and get a result.”
What kind of start would you like?
“We’ll try to get off to a good start. Let’s hope it happens like it did in 2011 (laughs). We have to be realistic and focus on the final goal. The season doesn’t end tonight. Tonight is a great night, getting a good result would be wonderful.”
How is Pulisic?
“I think he’s improving his condition, he’ll be crucial for us in the final part of the season. It’s not like a player who goes two or three months without scoring doesn’t mean he’s no longer capable.
“He started the season with an injury, and he had a series of setbacks that didn’t put him in the best condition to perform. But he scored some important goals early on.”