Milan vs Inter: More than just pride to play for in upcoming Derby della Madonnina

Topics: TV Schedules, AC Milan, Inter, Serie A

With just one point between them, the upcoming Derby della Madonnina featuring Milan and Inter could ultimately prove decisive in this season's Scudetto race.

Preview: Milan vs Inter

Currently in second and first place respectively, with just one point dividing them, both Milan and Inter are, for the first time in numerous seasons, in strong contention for the Scudetto. It's been over a decade since either the Rossoneri or the Nerazzurri won the coveted title, and now both Milan giants are in pole position to end Juve's nine-year long reign as champions of Italy.

Hosts Milan come into this match off the back of a shock 2-0 loss to debutants Spezia last round. As a result, Stefano Pioli's men have now slipped down to second spot. So far, the Diavolo have only lost three matches this season, but two of those defeats have taken place in their last five matches, and having had to settle for a frustrating stalemate against Serbian outfit Red Star Belgrade, Pioli will hope his team can rebound from that and pick up what would be their first "home" win over Inter since 2016.

Meanwhile, Inter ended high-flying Lazio's seven game winning streak with a resounding 3-1 win over the Biancocelesti. The Nerazzurri, who are now out of the Coppa Italia as well as European football action, can focus all their efforts in trying to win their first Scudetto since 2010. Last season saw Antonio Conte's side narrowly just miss out on the league title by one point, while they were unfortunately beaten in the Europa League final by perpetual winners Sevilla.

For the first time in decades, Inter and Milan are battling for top spot, while reigning champs Juventus lag behind. That being said, there are plenty of matches left between now and the end of the season, and Inter, who finished last season as winter champions, were beaten to the Scudetto by one point. This time around, Milan received that honorary title and certainly neither the Diavolo nor the Nerazzurri will not rest easy until they've been able to put a bigger gap between themselves and the lurking Bianconeri.

Sunday's match could see some fascinating records set on each side, with both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku expected to be protagonists for their respective sides. It will also be the first time the former Manchester United colleagues come face to face after their fiery bust-up during the Coppa Italia quarter-finals at the end of last month.

In short, this upcoming Derby della Madonnina could end up proving decisive in determining who gets their hands their hands on the big prize at the end of the season. So far, there have been two derbies, with each side winning a match 2-1. Will either team be able to come out on top in Sunday's highly-anticipated tie?

Team news: Milan vs Inter

Milan: Both Brahim Diaz and Ismael Bennacer are in doubt for the upcoming fixture, while new signing Mario Mandzukic suffered an injury in Milan's midweek tie against Red Star and likely will also miss out.

Inter: Only Stefano Sensi remains on the treatment table, meaning that Conte will be able to field his strongest starting XI.

Match facts: Milan vs Inter

Milan haven't won this match as the "home" side in Serie A since January 31, 2016
Inter are undefeated in 16 of their last 17 away matches in Serie A
The Nerazzurri have won 5 of their last 6 matches against Milan in all competitions
Milan and Inter have won 18 Scuedetti so far
The last time Milan won the Scudetto was in 2011; while Inter's last victory was in 2010