After a brief hiatus for the international break, AC Milan Women will return to play this weekend. This Sunday, they’ll take on the Inter Milan Women for the Derby Della Madonnina. Kickoff time is at 14:30 CET.
Here’s an overview of what you need to know about the match.
The Past
Milan and Inter have met six times before. Their first meeting was in the Coppa Italia in December of 2018. The Rossonere won that match by a score of 5-3.
Milan have won five out of six of their previous encounters. The Rossonere have won all editions of the derby in Serie A Femminile.
They’ve also outscored their cousins by a score of 7-1 in the league.
Inter, however, have changed a lot since the team last played them. They are currently coached by Rita Guarino, who was appointed as the Nerazzurre’s coach over the summer. Rita is a proven winner who had previously led Juventus to four Scudetti in four seasons. Current Milan coach, Maurizio Ganz, has a losing record against her, as he’s only won one match against a Guarino-led side.
Since then, Ganz’s teams have won one game against Guarino, tied one, and lost the rest.
The Present
Milan are currently third in the Serie A table, as they’ve won seven games, lost one, and tied two. Inter, on the other hand, have won six and lost three. While it might seem like Milan are the stronger side on paper, the Nerazzurre have an advantage over them in several areas. The first of which is their previously mentioned coach. Guarino is a proven winner and brings that winning mentality to Internazionale.
The Rossonere, on the other hand, have a tactically limited coach and are suffering from a string of injuries and inner turmoil. Laia Codina is out after acerbating a muscle injury while playing with the Spain U-23s.
Vero Boquete is also out and will not play on Sunday. Again, the refusal to convene her remains a mystery. And when you consider the fact that Vero scored her first two goals in the league the last time these two teams played, then her absence becomes harrowing. It has also become quite conspicuous.
The good news is that Refiloe Jane and Sara Thrige will return for this match. Both players had been absent these past few weeks due to injuries sustained over international duty. Milan has missed Jane’s steely presence in the middle of the park as well as Thrige covering the flanks. Their return to the Rossonere’s lineup will bolster the team’s chances of winning.
Inter have their fair share of talented players. The Nerazzurre can boast the likes of Tatiana Bonetti, a talismanic firebrand of a forward, Flaminia Simonetti, a creative and talented midfielder, and Ajara Nchout Njoya among their ranks.
In particular, Simonetti and Njoya are two, brilliant players who are good at finding space and good with their movements off the ball.
The Nerazzurre also have Gloria Marinelli and Beatrice Merlo among their ranks. The two Italian internationals are among the country’s best players and they will cause a lot of problems for Milan.
The encounter will be a tough clash for the Rossonere, who will have to muster up every ounce of their willpower to conjure up a victory.
Prediction
It’s tough to see Milan winning this game. Aside from the injuries, there’s also the questionable selection of players that will hurt more than help the team. The only area where they’d have an advantage over the Nerazzure is with their experience and maturity.
With that being said, don’t be surprised if Milan drops points during this game.
And don’t be surprised if they also lose.
How to Watch
In Italy, you’ll be able to watch the match on TimVision and Milan TV. If you live in Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, you’ll be able to watch the game on Ata Football.
For everyone else, check your local listings. You’ll also be able to watch a replay of the game on the team’s Dailymotion page a few hours after the match has ended.
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Interesting. I’m going to check this out on Dailymotion later. Only watched womens football few times, but it is entertaining.