Inter meet AC Milan at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Serie A on Sunday evening, as they aim to prove who boasts the best squad following a hectic summer.
Both Milanese giants pumped millions into the transfer market in a concerted effort to arrest an alarming slide which led to 8th and 10th place finishes respectively last term.
The Rossoneri must overturn an awful recent record as the away side between the ground-sharing rivals, having won just once in their last 10 as the visitors.
Last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a scoreless draw, which took place towards the end of a truly disappointing campaign for the celebrated duo.
During pre season Milan beat Inter twice, once in China during the International Champions Cup and the other came in the Trofeo Tim.
Roberto Mancini’s men has begun the 2015-16 season with two successive Serie A wins against Atalanta and Carpi, thus giving them maximum points at this early stage. New boy Stevan Jovetic has scored all of inter’s three goals this season.
On the contrary, AC Milan lost 2-0 away to Fiorentina in their season opener, but recovered sufficiently to post a vital 2-1 victory at home to Empoli on their second outing. But, it was achieved by way of a decidedly uninspiring display, which did little to appease frustrated fans.
Inter midfielder Jonathan Biabany’s fitness will be assessed this weekend, while star striker Mauro Icardi is back in training and hopeful of making the crucial game, despite missing out against Carpi due to a thigh muscle strain.
Central defender Miranda suffered a knock to his knee whilst on international duty for Brazil, though he insisted that it wasn’t a serious problem after a 4-1 win over the USA. Meanwhile, compatriot Dodo is absent with a knee injury.
Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic still has an ongoing concern about the availability of French forward Jeremy Menez thanks to persistent hip and sciatic issues. Luca Antonelli [hamstring], M’Baye Niang [metatarsal] and Andrea Bertolacci [thigh] have all been ruled out.
Form Guide: Inter (W-W) AC Milan (L-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Inter: Handanovic; Santon, Miranda, Murillo, Telles; Brozovic, Felipe Melo, Kondogbia; Perisic; Jovetic, Icardi.
AC Milan: Diego Lopez; Abate, Zapata, Romagnoli, De Sciglio; Poli, De Jong, Kucka; Bonaventura; Bacca, Luiz Adriano.
