While Serie A has concluded for the short winter break, there’s a huge game in the Coppa Italia, one of the biggest in world football. It’s the return of the Milan derby in the quarter-final as AC Milan and Inter face off in their shared home ground, the San Siro. They have had contrasting starts to the league season as Inter are 3^rd and AC Milan are struggling in 11^th after spending so much in the summer.

STATS

• AC Milan aren’t enjoying life in the league with the added pressure of the Europa League and the Coppa Italia. They eased past Verona in the last 16 with a 3-0 win but were beaten by the same team by the same scoreline just four days later in the league. They added to this loss with another one against Atalanta in their last game, they were beaten 2-0 at home.
• Inter were keeping pace with Napoli and Juventus at the top of Serie A but they have slipped away slightly after back-to-back losses against Udinese and Sassuolo. They avoided a possible upset in the last round and they had to rely on penalties in their match with Serie C side, Pordenone. This came after a goalless draw with Juventus which gave them the chance to close the gap.
• Suso is the one player who has shown any real class this season for AC Milan and with five goals, he is their leading goal scorer in the league.
• Mauro Icardi is banging in the goals for Inter and is Serie A’s top scorer, scoring 17 goals to lead the way ahead of Ciro Immobile.

HEAD TO HEAD

Fixtures between AC Milan and Inter are always enjoyable and in the last few years, it is very even as to who has won more matches. In the last five, both teams have won one with three draws. It was Inter who won the match when they met back in October in a classic derby match which ended 3-2. Icardi stole the headlines with a hat-trick, winning the game for them in the 90^th-minute. Surprisingly, this will be their first meeting in the Coppa Italia.

AC MILAN NEWS

AC Milan need to win to have any real chance of winning some silverware this season but they’re up against one of the best teams in Italy. They won’t have Leonardo Bonucci, who is suspended while Nikola Kalinic and Gabriel Paletta are both injured.

Latest matches: AC Milan

23.12.2017	Seri	AC Milan	Atalanta Bergamasca	0:2	L
17.12.2017	Seri	Hellas Verona	AC Milan	3:0	L
13.12.2017	Copp	AC Milan	Hellas Verona	3:0	W
10.12.2017	Seri	AC Milan	Bologna FC	2:1	W
07.12.2017	UEFA	HNK Rijeka	AC Milan	2:0	L

INTER NEWS

Inter are still in the title race at the halfway mark and progression in the Coppa Italia keeps their hopes of a couple of trophies alive. Miranda and Joao Mario are both recovering from recent injuries and aren’t expected to be rushed back into the side prematurely.

Latest matches: Inter Milan

23.12.2017	Seri	US Sassuolo	Inter Milan	1:0	L
16.12.2017	Seri	Inter Milan	Udinese Calcio	1:3	L
12.12.2017	Copp	Inter Milan	Pordenone	5:4	W
09.12.2017	Seri	Juventus Turin	Inter Milan	0:0	D
03.12.2017	Seri	Inter Milan	AC Chievo Verona	5:0	W

SUMMARY

AC Milan and Inter have been fighting for bragging rights in Italy’s second city for decades now and the tide has shifted over to Inter in the last few seasons. The Black and Blues are expected to progress into the semi-final of the Coppa Italia against their arch-rivals but AC Milan won’t be easy opponents. It should be another brilliant Milan derby.