The long-awaited Derby Della Madonnina is now just a few hours away and it should be a great game underneath the San Siro floodlights. With that said, it’s a very important clash for both sides so the tension is running high.
Milan are currently four points behind Inter (who have a game in hand) and tonight’s clash has been described as a must-win for the Rossoneri. A loss would increase the gap to seven points, and potentially ten points if the Nerazzurri win their game in hand.
A win for Stefano Pioli’s men, on the other hand, would very much keep the Scudetto race alive and that’s what makes the game so exciting. In order to get the three points, Milan will have to win some of the key battles, five of which are outlined below.
The first is rather obvious, namely Theo Hernandez vs. Denzel Dumfries. The former is obviously one of Milan’s best weapons when going forward and the Dutchman will be tasked with stopping him. We will also see the reverse battle, with Theo defending against the fast Inter right-back.
Moving on, another key battle is that between Franck Kessie and Marcelo Brozovic. As opposed to the first one, this battle will probably be a bit more one-sided, with the Milan man trying to stop the build-up of the Nerazzurri. He might prove useful in attack as well, but his main task is defensive.
Then we have the classic centre-back vs. striker battles, with the likes of Pierre Kalulu, Stefan De Vrij taking on Edin Dzeko and Olivier Giroud respectively. It’s always positive to have an advantage as a striker, but the same can be said for the centre-backs.
Finally, there is the battle of the future Italian midfield: Sandro Tonali vs. Nicolo Barella. The two will surely find themselves in some duels during the game and that battle is always very important in every game, that is the midfield battle. Both are key players and neutralising either of them would be a boost for the successful team.
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