Monday night derby [Newsletter]
In case you haven’t read the news in the last 24 hours, it has been confirmed that the derby between AC Milan and Inter will be played on a Monday night (!). Unprecedented scheduling, which stems from the Rossoneri’s Europa League encounter with Roma just days before. Although completely logical, it does feel a bit strange.
We can all remember just a few years ago, or perhaps we are actually talking about several years now, when Serie A started adding the derby to the 15:00 kick-off slot more frequently. It had happened before, of course, but the Derby della Madonnina had almost become synonymous with dark skies and Giuseppe Meazza lighting up the San Siro area.
Yesterday’s decision, with Lega Serie A confirming that the derby will be played on Monday April 22nd at 20:45 CET, takes it to a new level. Or maybe not, actually? Last season, we found ourselves in a similar situation when Milan faced Inter in the Champions League semi-final. The less said about that tie the better, and then again, UCL nights just hit differently compared to the league (because all eyes are on the competition).
The question is if all eyes will be on Serie A that Monday, certainly the fans of both teams will be watching. For the Americans out there, apply for a day off immediately! Jokes aside, it could be a bit of a blessing in disguise for the league as it definitely will be the hottest football clash on the night, with no interference. Had it been on Sunday, it would have clashed with El Clasico (Barcelona-Real Madrid).
For Milan, there are only perks with the decision as it would have been very tight to play on the Sunday. The game against Roma on Thursday evening is bound to be very demanding, mentally as well as physically, but now they should be able to recover enough energy for the big game. Everything to stop Inter from celebrating the Scudetto in the derby as well.
Inter are currently 14 points ahead of Milan and after the derby, there will only be five games left of the season. The Rossoneri will pretty much have to win all of their games up until the derby, which is doable given the schedule, but even just dropping points in one of those would likely give the Nerazzurri a golden chance. In the latter scenario, a draw in the derby would most likely seal it for Simone Inzaghi’s side.
We will have to revisit the situation in the standings in a few weeks. In all honestly, we don’t want to think about it too much (laughs) but we can only hope for the best. The Europa League will remain a big priority especially now that the final is in sight, although Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham will be no easy game in a potential semi-final for Milan. For now, though, let’s enjoy the peace and quiet of the international break.
News bulletin
➤ Milan’s Primavera side returned to winning ways in the league, beating Lazio 2-0 at the PUMA House of Football on Sunday. Some interesting tactics from Ignazio Abate were picked out after the game, while Mattia Liberali, Kevin Zeroli and Francesco Camarda have been shining on international duty.
➤ Elimination from the Coppa Italia has prematurely ended the season for the AC Milan Women, at least as far as trophy targets are concerned. It has been another disappointing campaign and a summer revolution is imminent where nobody is safe, from the management to the top players.
➤ One of the biggest storylines heading into the summer surrounds the striker that Milan will sign, and there may well be two that arrive. Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Sesko remain the most talked about names, but Jorge Mendes will soon offer up his own solution.
➤ There have been some good interviews already over the international break. Yunus Musah spoke about his settling-in period at Milan and Christian Pulisic's form, Tijjani Reijnders gave an interview along the same lines and Brahim Diaz expressed his gratitude to his old club.
➤ Things have gone a bit quieter on the 'will Pioli stay and who might replace him' front, but Tuttosport suggested that the derby against Inter will be a game that plays a big part in determining whether he should remain. Antonio Conte apparently remains keen on the Milan job, while the Thiago Motta talk persists.
➤ Sky journalist Peppe Di Stefano has offered some interesting insight throughout the week too, such as the three factors that in his opinion seem to have contributed to Pulisic's resurgence, as well as the reasons for Theo Hernandez's upturn in 2024.
➤ The latest from international duty: there are 15 players in total that have been called up, but Ismael Bennacer has come back early due to minor discomfort and Mike Maignan is being handled carefully having missed two training sessions.