Official: Inter vs. AC Milan starting XIs – Leao dropped and Messias in midfield

AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli has made a number of changes to his starting line-up for the game against Inter compared to the side that lost to Sassuolo a week ago.

Milan will line up in a 3-5-2 formation with Ciprian Tatarusanu protected by a three-man defence of Simon Kjaer, Pierre Kalulu and Matteo Gabbia, with Fikayo Tomori out injured. Davide Calabria and Theo Hernandez are the right and left wing-backs respectively.

Junior Messias, Sandro Tonali and Rade Krunic are the midfield trio as Pioli will seemingly choose to try and protect the defensive department and compact the team a bit more, with the Brazilian playing in a position that he is yet to occupy for the Rossoneri.

The front two is Olivier Giroud and Divock Origi which means that Rafael Leao will start the game from the bench, along with his fellow forwards Brahim Diaz, Charles De Ketelaere, Alexis Saelemaekers and Ante Rebic.

 Inter XI (3-5-2): Onana; Skriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro, Dzeko.

Bench:

Official Milan XI (3-5-2): Tatarusanu; Kalulu, Kjaer, Gabbia; Calabria, Messias, Tonali, Krunic, Theo Hernandez; Giroud, Origi.

Bench: Vasquez, Mirante, Ballo-Tourè, Adli, Diaz, Rebic, Bakayoko, Leao, Thiaw, Pobega, Vranckx, Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere.