“Serie A: Inter vs. Milan in the ‘Derby of the North’ as Napoli Stays in the Hunt”

Defending champions Inter Milan aim to close the gap on league leaders Napoli when they face their fierce rivals AC Milan on Sunday in the much-anticipated “Derby of the North,” the highlight of Serie A’s 23rd round.

Shortly after the derby, Napoli will travel to the capital to take on Roma, hoping to maintain their lead at the top of the table. Currently, Napoli holds a three-point advantage over Inter (53-50). After securing a spot among the top eight in the unified Champions League group stage with a commanding 3-0 victory over Monaco, Inter can now shift their focus to the domestic title race against Napoli.

Inter has only suffered one league defeat this season, and it came against Milan in a 2-1 loss, where they conceded a late goal in the 89th minute from Matteo Gabbia. Since then, Simone Inzaghi’s squad has been in formidable form and is set to welcome back key players like Turkish midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu and veteran defender Francesco Acerbi after injury layoffs.

Their 4-0 victory over Lecce last week marked their eighth consecutive away win in Serie A, a run during which they haven’t conceded a single goal since their first match of the streak against Udinese in September (3-2).

Though both teams share the San Siro stadium, this match is technically an “away” game for Inter, meaning Milan fans will have the majority of the tickets. However, Inter’s chances of victory are boosted by the incredible form of their Argentine striker Lautaro Martínez, who netted a hat-trick against Monaco, bringing his tally to nine goals in his last nine matches across all competitions. The World Cup-winning forward has rediscovered his scoring touch at just the right time for Inter, following a dry spell after returning from Copa América with Argentina.

Meanwhile, Milan finds itself in turmoil, plagued by public disputes between players and new Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição, along with growing discontent among fans over the management of RedBird Capital, led by American owner Gerry Cardinale.

Since winning the Serie A title in 2022, Milan has struggled to keep up with their city rivals, who have established dominance both domestically and in Europe. Currently sitting seventh in the league and trailing Napoli by 19 points, Milan has also suffered setbacks in the Champions League. A shocking 2-1 defeat to Croatian underdogs Dinamo Zagreb saw them miss out on direct qualification to the Round of 16, forcing them into the playoff round instead.

Elsewhere in this round, Napoli will be in the spotlight as they take on ninth-placed Roma, who are unbeaten in their last six matches. Napoli will be relying on Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who has become a crucial part of Antonio Conte’s system with his decisive goals and attacking presence.

Lukaku, 31, returns to Rome on Sunday after scoring in Napoli’s last two wins against Atalanta (3-2) and Juventus (2-1), extending their winning streak to seven matches. He will face former Roma teammates Gianluca Mancini and Ivorian defender Evan Ndicka. Lukaku has netted nine league goals this season and provided six assists.

Meanwhile, third-placed Atalanta, who recently returned to winning ways after a four-match slump, will face 10th-placed Torino. Despite a 2-2 draw against Barcelona that narrowly cost them a top-eight Champions League finish by just one point, Gian Piero Gasperini’s team hopes to keep pace with Napoli and Inter. However, they will be without their top scorer, Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, who is sidelined with a knee injury for about three weeks.

Juventus, currently fifth with 37 points, will look to bounce back from their European disappointment following a 2-0 loss to Benfica. They will host 14th-placed Empoli on Sunday, aiming to reassure their fans with a straightforward victory. Despite their recent setback, Juventus secured a spot in the Champions League playoff round by finishing 20th in the standings.

The round kicks off today with Parma taking on Lecce, followed by Saturday’s matches: Udinese vs. Venezia, Monza vs. Verona, Atalanta vs. Torino, and Bologna vs. Como. On Sunday, Fiorentina will host Genoa, while the round concludes on Monday with a clash between Cagliari and Lazio.