Inter Milan hosts AC Milan in Serie A title race decider

Inter Milan, leading Serie A with 25 points after nine rounds, faces AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina on 31 October 2026 at San Siro. The match carries significant implications for both teams' championship ambitions, with AC Milan trailing Inter by seven points in fifth place.

Inter arrives as the defending Serie A and Coppa Italia champion and enters unbeaten after beating Venezia, extending their recent form to eight wins in nine league matches. However, captain Lautaro Martínez is unavailable through a thigh injury. Inter's recent record includes comebacks against Fiorentina (2-1) and victories over Bologna and Venezia, demonstrating late-game resilience. In their head-to-head history, Inter has not defeated AC Milan in over two years, suffering five defeats and two draws across seven recent derbies, and has not scored in the last three matchups.

AC Milan, managed by Ruben Amorim, will field Christian Pulisic in attack following a 4-2 home defeat to Bologna on 28 October that exposed defensive vulnerabilities. The team is missing defenders Fikayo Tomori and will operate without midfielders Adrien Rabiot and Loftus-Cheek. Despite the recent loss, AC Milan maintains psychological momentum from their seven-match unbeaten run in the derby and has won five of their last seven encounters with Inter. The team secured recent victories over Atalanta (3-2) and Udinese (2-0) before the Bologna setback.

Inter is favored based on current form and league position, with their ability to convert late chances and maintain consistency in difficult conditions. AC Milan, however, can draw confidence from their recent head-to-head success and motivation to close the seven-point gap. The match will be broadcast on Disney+ and BBC2.