Inter and Milan will lock horns in the mouth-watering Derby della Madonnina on Sunday evening in contrasting spirits. But despite the latter’s humiliating start under new manager Paulo Fonseca, Nicolo Barella has urged his Nerazzurri teammates not to underestimate their arch-rivals.
Milan briefly renewed enthusiasm among the Rossoneri faithful with a 4-0 rout of newly-promoted Venezia last weekend. However, hope abandoned the frustrated Curva Sud following a disheartening 3-1 home loss to Liverpool in their curtain-raising Champions League fixture.
While Milan slumped on their European start, Inter excelled, holding perennial Premier League title holders Manchester City to a respectable 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium. Barella was among the most formidable performers for Simone Inzaghi’s side, pulling all the strings in the midfield.
Known as a fierce competitor, the Inter stalwart expects Milan to give the Scudetto holders a run for their money, irrespective of their abysmal season opening.
“Surely Milan will give us a hard time, as is normal,” the Inter star said, as reported by MilanNews. “It’s a derby, it’s an important game for the championship and emotionally, it doesn’t matter how you get there but what you put on the field. We will obviously do our best to win.”
While Milan won only once in the first four Serie A rounds, Inter have yet to lose in the Italian top flight this season. However, two draws from four matches don’t make for good reading, substantiating Barella’s statement ahead of the first Derby della Madonnina of 2024/25.
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