Matchday 28 of the Serie A season continues this weekend, with the spotlight firmly on the latest Milan derby between Milan and Inter at San Siro.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the round began on Friday with Napoli securing a hard-fought 2:1 home victory over Torino. The result temporarily strengthened Napoli’s position near the top of the table.
The overall picture in the title race remains tense. Inter lead the standings with 67 points from 27 matches, followed by Milan with 57. Napoli have moved up to 56 points after playing one game more. Roma sit fourth with 51 points, while Como (48) and Juventus (47) remain within reach of the Champions League places.
Milan v Inter (8 March)
The headline fixture of the round is the 246th official Milan derby. Historically, Inter hold the edge in the rivalry, with 91 wins compared to Milan’s 83, while 71 matches have ended in draws across all competitions.
Both sides arrive after victories in the previous round. Milan defeated Cremonese 2:0 away from home, while Inter beat Genoa 2:0 at San Siro. For Cristian Chivu’s team, that result marked their eighth consecutive win in the league.
Milan’s week has been mixed. On the one hand, Massimiliano Allegri’s side responded well to their earlier defeat against Parma by returning to winning ways in Cremona. On the other, the Rossoneri approach the derby with notable injury concerns. Defender Matteo Gabbia is expected to be out for around a month following hernia surgery, while midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek could miss up to eight weeks after undergoing jaw surgery.
However, Milan do hold an important psychological advantage: they are unbeaten in the last six derbies against Inter, winning four of those matches.
Inter, meanwhile, come into the match after a busy run of fixtures. Following their victory over Genoa, the league leaders drew 0:0 with Como in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final and had earlier been eliminated from the Champions League after two defeats to Bodo/Glimt.
Another complication for the Nerazzurri is the absence of captain Lautaro Martinez, who is still recovering from injury. Francesco Pio Esposito is expected to lead the line in his place.
From a title perspective, the stakes could hardly be higher. A win for Inter would extend their lead over Milan to 13 points with ten matches remaining, potentially putting them within touching distance of a 21st Serie A title. A victory for the hosts, however, would reignite the championship race and keep Milan firmly in contention.
Other fixtures in Serie A matchday 28
6 March
Napoli v Torino 2:1
7 March
Cagliari v Como
Atalanta v Udinese
Juventus v Pisa
8 March
Lecce v Cremonese
Bologna v Verona
Fiorentina v Parma
Genoa v Roma
9 March
Lazio v Sassuolo
Serie A standings after the opening match of matchday 28
1. Inter – 67
2. Milan – 57
3. Napoli – 56
4. Roma – 51
5. Como – 48
6. Juventus – 47
7. Atalanta – 45
8. Bologna – 39
9. Sassuolo – 38
10. Udinese – 35
11. Lazio – 34
12. Parma – 33
13. Cagliari – 30
14. Torino – 30
15. Genoa – 27
16. Fiorentina – 24
17. Cremonese – 24
18. Lecce – 24
19. Pisa – 15
20. Verona – 15
