Serie A special: Who rules Italy? Last updated Saturday, April 2,2011
By Eastsportsonline Desk
The most awaited second round match of the Derby della Madonnina comes off this Saturday at the Giuseppe Meazza with e Ac Milan fighting Inter Milan for the first spot in Serie A.
This is Serie A’s biggest match and it always comes with lot of pressure on both teams to deliver to the satisfaction of their fans.
Ac Milan are leading the Serie A table but after losing their last league match against Palermo, Milan have only made things more difficult for them. A loss against Inter Milan will further complicate their league campaign.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five competitive fixtures. Their last win came against Juventus in Serie A, a victory that was made certain by Genaro Gattuso’s goal. The former European champions have only conceded 22 goals this season in league football, a figure which is less than any other team in Serie A.
Whilst Ac Milan have the best defensive record in Serie A presently, Inter Milan are the highest scorers in Italian league football
Inter Milan are chasing their local rivals and a win on Saturday will propel them towards the top of the table as they will be able to overcome the current two point deficit that exists between them and Milan.
Leonardo’s squad has made a miracle comeback after Rafael Benitez couldn’t keep the Mourinho side in shape for his tenure as manager of the club.
The good news for inter Milan is that, Zlatan Ibrahimovic who got the match winner for the Rossoneri in their first round tie will not be playing today due to his red card suspension.
Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o believes the winners of Saturday evening’s Derby della Madonnina will not necessarily clinch the Serie A title.
Key Players
A.C Milan will rely on star striker Alexandre Pato to do the job in the absence of hit man Ibrahimovic against Inter Milan. Pato has been in a high run of form recently. In total, Pato has scored eleven goals in his 19 Serie A appearances for Milan this season.
On the other hand, Inter Milan will be dependent on Samuel Eto’ to get the goals for them. Eto’ has already scored 19 goals in the 2010-2011 Serie A season.
