The two storied Italian clubs spark a fresh edition of the Derby della Madonnina in league play after 18 years, bringing fans back to the old rivalry with renewed energy.
AC Milan and Inter Milan star in a new edition of the Derby della Madonnina this week, as part of the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. The Rossoneri, led by Stefano Pioli, aim to leverage the home leg to set up a favorable return. Milan arrives from a 2-1 aggregate victory over Serie A champions Napoli, while Inter eliminated Benfica 5-3 on aggregate, signaling both teams are in peak form as the tie unfolds.
Locally, Milan has just defeated Lazio 2-0, extending a seven-game unbeaten run. They sit fifth in the Italian league with 61 points, protecting a Europa League spot with four matches remaining. Inter, in parallel, holds fourth with 63 points after a 2-0 win over Roma last weekend, riding a four-match winning streak. That will make this the third derby of the season and the second this year. Inter claimed two of those meetings, including the Italian Super Cup on January 18, with goals from Federico Dimarco, Edin Džeko, and Lautaro Martínez.
Rewinding past meetings, the last clash in this competition occurred in the 2005 edition, the quarter-finals. Milan won the first leg 2-0 and progressed 1-0 in the return—an early hint of the drama to come in this modern chapter of the rivalry.
Recent context and historical notes around the Milan-Inter rivalry include several points worth noting for fans and analysts:
• This marks the fifth duel between Milan and Inter in European competition, with Milan unbeaten in the previous four (2 wins, 2 draws). The 2002/03 knockout tie in the Champions League saw Milan advance to the final on away goals after a 1-1 aggregate.
• Across all competitions this season, Milan and Inter have already met three times, with Inter winning the last two. Since 1994/95, Milan have not failed to avoid losing three matches in a single season against Inter (two in the Coppa Italia and one in Serie A).
• After winning 3-2 in the season’s opening Serie A clash in September, Milan have since failed to score in their next two meetings with Inter, including a 0-3 loss in the Italian Super Cup and a goalless draw in a subsequent league fixture. The last time Milan failed to score in three consecutive derbies against Inter was in the 1979–1980 period.
• Milan’s recent semi-final home form at Giuseppe Meazza in the Champions League shows resilience. They have not allowed more than one goal in these high-stakes home legs in six such appearances, with the lone exception during a 1-0 loss to Barcelona in the 2005/06 first leg. The clean sheets tally remains strong in the majority of these fixtures.
• In terms of defensive discipline, Milan have conceded only one goal across their last six Champions League matches, despite facing a hefty shot count and an expected goals against figure that suggests pressure from opponents. The team’s defensive organization has often been a hallmark of their European campaign this season.
• Inter, meanwhile, has kept clean sheets in six of ten Champions League games, though the competition has seen a few seasons where inspirational defensive runs were harder to sustain in the knockout rounds.
• Individual records tilt toward the dramatic. Rafael Leão has tallied 37 dribbles in the Champions League this season, matching a Milan benchmark last seen with Kaká in 2004/05, and contributing a substantial share of Milan’s attacking output. Lautaro Martínez has historically found the net against Milan, scoring seven goals in twelve appearances against them since 2019, making him one of the most prolific scorers in these clashes.
• Sandro Tonali has emerged as a standout presser in the midfield, leading in pressures and central field dominance this season. Milan as a team have excelled in pressing across the central zones, an attribute that can define a derby of such intensity.
• Federico Dimarco has been the assist leader for Inter in the current campaign, with four assists in the Champions League alone, a metric that echoes the club’s storied creative power. The last Inter player to register more assists in the same season across the league was Samuel Eto’o in 2010/11 (five).
The Derby della Madonnina will be broadcast live on ESPN and Fox Sports 1, with availability varying by regional cable packages. In several markets, the channels include:
ESPN
• VTR: 48 (SD) – 843 (HD)
• DTV: 621 (SD) – 1620 (HD)
• ENTEL: 212 (HD)
• BRIGHT: 174 (SD) – 474 (HD)
• GTD/TELSUR: 84 (SD)
• MOVISTAR: 480 (SD) – 884 (HD)
• YOU SEE: 508 (SD)
• ZAP: 90 (HD)
Fox Sports 1
• VCR: 166 (SD) – 860 (HD)
• DTV: 604 (SD) – 1604 (SD)
• ENTEL: 241 (HD)
• BRIGHT: 178 (SD) – 478 (HD)
• GTD/TELSUR: 70 (SD) – 846 (HD)
• MOVISTAR: 485 (SD) – 889 (HD)
• YOU SEE: 518 (SD)
• ZAP: 100 (HD)
For fans preferring online viewing, Star+ offers a subscription-based stream option with monthly and annual plans. Access is available on multiple devices, including televisions, computers, mobile devices, tablets, and gaming consoles. Subscribers can visit the official Star+ site to sign up and start watching the derby unfold in real time. The above overview reflects ongoing competition dynamics and typical broadcast arrangements for major European fixtures, and is based on current season data and public match reporting.