By Michael Nsikan Richard – November 23rd, 2025
Date: November 23rd, 2025
Kick-Off: 8:45pm WAT
Venue: San Siro (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza), Milan
Match Context And Stakes: The Title Race
The upcoming Derby della Madonnina holds exceptional importance, with both clubs battling at Serie A’s summit.
Inter Milan shares the top spot with AS Roma (24 points each), while AC Milan hovers close behind in 4th position with 22 points in what’s shaping up to be a fiercely competitive championship chase.
Milan’s current standing places them squarely among the title challengers, transforming this local rivalry into a potential season-defining encounter.
According to TheHardTackle’s analysis, the implications stretch far beyond neighborhood bragging rights.
AS Roma and Napoli remain firmly in contention, creating a multi-team Scudetto battle that’s grown increasingly compelling through the season’s early stages.
Either team securing 3 points here could gain invaluable momentum alongside a psychological edge in what’s developing into an unpredictable title fight.
Recent Form And Momentum
Inter Milan (Unbeaten in 4 Matches)
Inter demonstrated the characteristics of a team hitting their stride, having followed their 2-1 triumph against Kairat with a convincing performance against Lazio ahead of the international break.
TheHardTackle’s statistics reveal an impressive attacking record: Inter have scored across all 15 competitive fixtures this 2025/26 campaign—11 Serie A matches and 4 Champions League encounters—accumulating a total of 37 goals.
AC Milan (Unbeaten in 11 Matches)
SempreMilan’s coverage highlights Milan’s impressive consistency entering this derby, having suffered only one loss all season—that solitary defeat arriving through a 2-1 result against Cremonese back in August.
Yet their pre-break showing proved frustrating: despite racing to a commanding 2-0 lead at Parma courtesy of goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Rafael Leao, they squandered the opportunity to claim temporary pole position after conceding twice for a 2-2 stalemate.
Head To Head History
Sportskeeda’s records show AC Milan went undefeated through all five derby meetings with Inter last term across competitions (3 wins, 2 draws)—the Rossoneri haven’t enjoyed such dominance over the Nerazzurri since the period spanning November 2002 through April 2005.
The broader historical picture reveals Inter holding the advantage with 91 victories from 244 total encounters, compared to Milan’s 82 wins.
Managerial Matchup And Tactical Battle
The dugouts present an intriguing tactical chess match: Cristian Chivu faces Massimiliano Allegri as opposing managers for the very first time.
Chivu, the Romanian tactician who previously steered Parma away from relegation danger, joined Inter following their separation from Simone Inzaghi. Allegri has come back to Milan, where he’ll look to leverage his November prowess—SempreMilan notes his teams historically excel during this month of November, averaging 2.21 points per match across 66 games (44 victories, 14 draws, 8 losses).
Milan fans have something extra to anticipate: Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic will finally start together in attack for the first time this Serie A campaign, with injuries having previously kept this dangerous pairing apart. Their combined attacking firepower poses a genuine threat to Inter’s backline.
Team News
Inter Milan
Absences: Chivu must navigate without Mkhitaryan, Di Gennaro, and Palacios.
Key Returns: Marcus Thuram is available to form his partnership with Lautaro Martinez.
AC Milan
Absences: Milan faces just two unavailable players: Zachary Athekame (calf problem sustained on international duty) and Santiago Gimenez (ankle issue).
Key Returns: Christian Pulisic and Ardon Jashari completed full 90-minute run-outs in a friendly against Virtus Entella during the break, while Adrien Rabiot has rejoined full team training.
Prediction
Inter carry the favorites tag owing to their table position and home venue advantage, yet Milan’s unbeaten derby sequence from last season, combined with their current 11-game undefeated run, makes this genuinely difficult to call.
Both squads arrive in excellent shape, separated by a mere 2 points, suggesting a tight, tactically intricate contest where dead-ball situations and moments of individual quality might ultimately decide matters. Milan’s attack gains considerable potency through having both Pulisic and Leão available, potentially exploiting the gaps left by Inter’s missing defensive personnel.
The Derby della Madonnina returns carrying legitimate title race significance, matching Inter’s newfound clinical edge under their fresh management against Milan’s resilience and recent derby superiority. Both teams bring strong momentum into this clash, promising a captivating spectacle at the San Siro.
Expected Outcome: Inter 2-1 AC Milan;
Though this fixture has a history of defying expectations.
