AC Milan and Inter will contest the second and final derby of the 2025-26 season at San Siro tonight, with plenty at stake.
For a while it looked as though this could be a potentially huge game in the title race, but the Scudetto train has probably departed without Milan given that there is a 10-point gap in the standings. Tonight is a must-win to keep the slim hopes alive, at the very least.
However, Massimiliano Allegri was keen to point out during his press conference that the target is a Champions League place. To do the double over the Nerazzurri would be a big bonus too, and would extend a good run in the Derby della Madonnina.
AC Milan vs. Inter: Five key battles
We start on Milan’s left side, where Pervis Estupinan is tipped to get the nod over Davide Bartesaghi, who came off injured in Cremona and is not 100%. The Ecuadorian needs a big performance amid the rumours he could be leaving after a year, given that so far he has not really convinced and lost his starting spot early on.
On the flip side Luis Henrique‘s story is similar. There was a lot of buzz when he signed from Marseille but he hasn’t hit the levels of Denzel Dumfries, who has been out for most of the season. Like for Estupinan, this could be a big chance for the Franco-Brazilian to make a mark in the biggest fixture of all, to start winning over fans.
Milan need Christian Pulisic back to his best form if there are any hopes of a Scudetto comeback. The American hasn’t scored or registered an assist in 2026 so far, though he did decide the last derby in November. He will be entrusted to lead the line alongside Rafael Leao, with Allegri hoping he rises to the occasion again, having scored four times against Inter already.
His opponent on the left side of Inter’s defence will be Alessandro Bastoni, the centre-back who has been in the headlines a lot recently after he got Pierre Kalulu sent off in the Nerazzurri’s win over Juventus. Bastoni is crucial not only because of his defensive ability but also in the build-up phase, so Pulisic will have to remain attentive.
Inter’s main threat is probably not any of their four strikers, but instead Federico Dimarco. The Italian has been involved in 12 goals in 10 Serie A matches in 2026 (4 goals, 8 assists), at least twice as many as any other player in the period (seven players are on six goal involvements). He could become only the fifth Inter player to be involved in a goal in seven consecutive Serie A appearances.
So, Alexis Saelemaekers must stop Dimarco affecting the game too much, while also trying to help get Milan forward in transition. The Belgian had a big hand in securing the win back in November as his run in transition and shot that Sommer parried gave Pulisic a tap-in.
We end with a couple of duels in the midfield, where this contest between the two 3-5-2 systems could be won and lost. On the red side, Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot have been absolutely crucial to the way that Allegri has wanted to play. The Croatian is the deep-lying director of play, while the Frenchman’s size and his marauding runs have made him incredibly useful in both phases.
On the blue side, Piotr Zielinski is expected to stand in as the regista given Hakan Calhanoglu is not fully fit, so it will be interesting to see how he adapts to the role after some good recent performances. Then there is Nicolo Barella, who many regard to be Italy’s best midfielder and the Nerazzurri’s main creative force, despite perhaps not having his best campaign so far.
