AC Milan and Inter Milan step up their respective preparations for the new Serie A season on Wednesday as the two heavyweights of Italian football meet in a pre-season Derby della Madonnina at Optus Stadium in Perth.
The venue in Western Australia had been due to host a Serie A game last season involving the Rossoneri but that clash was ultimately shelved, so instead this high-profile friendly has been organised.
Inter are the clear favourites to win, but they have struggled in derby clashes recently, despite outperforming their rivals in Serie A in each of the last four seasons.
AC Milan v Inter Milan Tips Summary
Best Bet - AC Milan to win @ 7/4
Alternative Bet - Francesco Camarda to score anytime @ 7/4
Bet Builder - AC Milan or Draw double chance, Francesco Camarda to score anytime, Both teams to score & Over 3 goals @ 5/1
AC Milan v Inter Milan Prediction
Best Bet: AC Milan to win @ 7/4
It is always tough to judge how teams will approach pre-season fixtures, but there is a good chance that both of these sides will take this one seriously.
This may be a friendly but there is of course a huge rivalry between these two clubs and both sets of players will be keen to make a statement before the new campaign gets underway.
This clash also represents a chance to impress a new set of fans in a stadium with a capacity of more than 60,000.
Inter have had the tougher tests in pre-season so far as they have played out a draw with Manchester City, before winning on penalties - that coming after a 2-1 win over Karlsruher.
The Rossoneri have had just one summer assignment so far, drawing 2-2 at Celtic.
The Nerazzurri are a little more battle hardened as this is their third summer game, but there is probably a bit more pressure on AC.
They ended last season poorly, so will be looking to play themselves into some form ahead of the new campaign and they have a new boss to impress, as former Manchester United and Sporting manager Ruben Amorim has taken charge.
Milan won both league meetings last season and have five wins and no defeats in their last seven meetings with their city rivals.
Taking all that into account, the Rossoneri look good value to claim a Derby della Madonnina win Down Under on Wednesday as the underdogs.
Alternative Bet: Francesco Camarda to score anytime @ 7/4
Teenage forward Francesco Camarda spent last season on loan at Lecce but is back with AC Milan for pre-season.
Amorim has confirmed he won't be loaned out again, so Camarda has the backing of his boss and he has already started to prove his worth in pre-season.
The 18-year-old scored both of his side’s goals against Celtic and he stands out as a potential scorer for the Rossoneri on Wednesday, particularly with a couple of key forwards either confirmed as absentees already or expected to sit out.
AC Milan v Inter Milan Bet Builder Tip
- AC Milan or Draw double chance
- Francesco Camarda to score
- Both teams to score
- Over 3 goals
Pays 5/1
AC Milan are capable of causing what would be a small upset by winning this friendly but the draw adds a little insurance, while youngster Camarda stands out as a contender for a goal.
His campaign with Lecce last season was fairly underwhelming but he did struggle with injuries at times and lost his starting spot in the closing weeks of the season as a result of his stint on the sidelines.
However, Camarda was a regular scorer for Italy's Under-21s last season and this summer he made his first two appearances for the senior side.
The youngster could be on the verge of a breakthrough campaign and he can help his side outgun their city rivals in Perth.
Inter should at least be able to get on the scoresheet, however, as they have scored in all of their pre-season games, and in each of their final 12 games of the previous campaign.
Both sides are likely to make plenty of changes over the course of this clash and that should lead to an open game, making goals at both ends, and plenty of them, appear likely.
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Key Match Stats
- AC Milan have won five of the last seven competitive meetings, with two draws
- The two teams have met a total of 246 times in official editions of the Derby della Madonnina
- Inter lead the overall head-to-head 91-84 in those official editions and there have been 71 draws
- These teams had identical defensive records in Serie A last season with 35 goals conceded in 38 games
- Inter Milan have never played a friendly in Australia
- AC Milan have played four times previously on Australian soil and this will be their third successive summer playing in Perth
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
