Serie A: Fonseca’s Milan Job is in Jeopardy

Inter Milan vs AC Milan

Two teams that are on different sides of the Serie A table will go head-to-head on Sunday, as Inter Milan host AC Milan in San Siro for another exciting edition of the Derby della Madonnina.

Inter Milan have shown us why they’re the defending Italian top-flight champions because they’re one of the few teams left undefeated so far. They are third in the standings with eight points after recording two wins and two draws.

On the other hand, AC Milan are seven notches below their derby rivals with five points. They are off to a slow start, as they only got their first win of the season last Sunday.

But besides the points and the bragging rights, one of the biggest backdrops of this contest is Paulo Fonseca, who is fighting for his job based on the recent Serie A 2024 news.

 

Talking Points

Barella asserting his influence for Inter Milan

After back-to-back victories against Lecce and Atalanta, Inter Milan secured consecutive draws against Monza and Manchester City in the first matchday of this season’s new-look Champions League.

The Nerazzurri were caught off guard by Monza, and they needed some late-game heroics from Denzel Dumfries, who scored the equaliser during the 88^th minute.

Against Manchester City, Inter Milan came as the underdogs, and they held their ground at the Etihad, with Nicolo Barella leading the way.

Barella was named Man of the Match against the Sky Blues because of his all-around display in the 0-0 draw. He almost sparked a counterattack early on that would’ve given Inter Milan the lead if they converted.

Besides that, Barella looked unfazed all game long, even if Manchester City tried to pressure him in midfield.

The 27-year-old should continue to start for Simone Inzaghi, and he will be accompanied by Hakan Calhanoglu in the middle of the park.

Denzel Dumfries, Lautaro Martinez, Davide Frattesi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Benjamin Pavard all came off the bench yesterday, while Stefan de Vrij took a day off. All of them could contend for a spot in the starting XI since Inzaghi might rotate his squad again.

 

AC Milan have valid injury concerns at the back

Save for their 4-0 win over Venezia, AC Milan have been rather poor, especially on the defencive end since they’ve conceded nine goals in five matches across all competitions already, including their 3-1 loss against Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Christian Pulisic gave the Rossoneri a dream start when he scored the first goal within the first three minutes of the match, but the Reds fought back via goals from Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Dominik Szoboszlai.

To make things even worse, Davide Calabria and Mike Maignan had to be subbed off after picking up injuries, and they are questionable to play on Sunday.

Lorenzo Torriani and Emerson Royal could both start if Mike Maignan and Davide Calabria are ruled out, while Malick Thiaw’s potential return to the bench should be a boost.

 

History

Inter Milan have dominated AC Milan lately in this particular fixture. The Nerazzurri have defeated the Rossoneri six consecutive times in all competitions via an aggregate tally of 14-2, and they can make it seven straight for the first time ever this weekend.

The Nerazzurri have drawn four of their last six Serie A matches (W2), which is as many they had across their previous 28 league matches (W23, D4, L1).

AC Milan managed to only accrue five points from their first four Serie A matches of a season for the first time since 2018-19 (also W1, D2, L1). However, they are undefeated in each of the last seven derbies played on the fifth matchday of a Serie A campaign (W5, D2).

 

Betting Tip

The Serie A 2024 odds are in favour of the blue team in San Siro winning on Sunday. Inter Milan are 1.66 favourites, whereas AC Milan are 4.44 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.67 in the 1X2 market.

Save for their two league meetings last season, the Derby della Madonnina tends to be low scoring. So, other than our recommended bet above, SBOTOP bettors can also have Under 3.00 at 1.76, Under 2.75 at 2.03, Total Goals 2-3 at 2.04, or even Total Goals 0-1 at 3.82 as alternatives.

Correct Scores of 1-0 and 2-0 in favour of the Nerazzurri are on offer at 7.70 and 8.40. However, if it’s the other way around, you’ll get paid either 15.50 or 34.00 for your bet.

   

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