Massimiliano Allegri admitted he is not sure if AC Milan can catch Inter in the Scudetto race, but he did not rule out the possibility ahead of Sunday's Derby della Madonnina.

Milan are 10 points behind Inter heading into the clash with their fiercest rivals, with only 11 games left to play in Serie A this season.

The Rossoneri got back to winning ways with their late 2-0 win over Cremonese last weekend, having drawn and lost their two games beforehand to lose some ground on the league leaders.

Allegri has remained insistent that Milan's sole focus is on securing a Champions League place this season, but that does not mean he has ruled his side out of the title race completely.

Asked if he felt Milan would be able to catch Inter if they won the derby, Allegri said: "You never know what happens in football.

"In the meantime, we'll just play tomorrow. I don't know if we'll reopen the race for the Scudetto, but we're five wins away from the Champions League, so if we win tomorrow, we'll be missing one less.

"After the game, we'll see if we're left at -10, at -7 or at -13 [points behind Inter]. Regardless of tomorrow's result, we know that 57 points isn't enough to achieve our goal, which is to return to playing in the Champions League."

As for Inter, a win at San Siro would see them move 13 points clear and solidify their grip on top spot. They are heavy favourites to win the Scudetto, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 96.8% chance of winning the title.

Inter have won their last eight games in Serie A but come into this game on the back of a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Como in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final.

But Cristian Chivu is keen to see Inter return to their usual high levels in the league, while urging his side not to underestimate their rivals.

"We've got to keep the good run going, trying to be competitive and seeking those variations that can allow us to express ourselves even better on the pitch," he said.

"We cannot change our identity, the one we have had since the start. Since the start of this year, we've improved and have a different approach to games, because we don't underestimate or overestimate anyone.

"What matters is what we want to do, how we control the game, and I think that the ambitions we built for ourselves deservedly this season allow us to be without pressure, aware we are facing a strong opponent."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Milan – Christian Pulisic

After scoring the decisive goal in the 1-0 win in the reverse fixture on November 23, Christian Pulisic could become the first Milan player to score in both Serie A matches against Inter in a single season since Kaka in 2003-04.

However, the American has not scored in the league since late December, going 10 appearances without hitting the back of the net since then.

Inter – Federico Dimarco

Federico Dimarco has been involved in 12 goals in 10 Serie A matches in 2026 (four goals, eight assists), at least twice as many as any other player in this period.

Dimarco could become only the fifth Inter player to be involved in a goal in seven consecutive Serie A appearances on record (since 2004-05), after Julio Cruz (twice), Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER WIN

Following their 1-0 success in the first derby of the season, Milan could win both league meetings against Inter in Serie A for the first time since 2010-11, under Allegri.

And Milan are unbeaten in their last six derby matches against Inter in all competitions (W4 D2), after losing all six of the previous encounters. 

However, the Rossoneri have won just one of their last 11 home matches against Inter in all competitions (D5 L5): a 3-2 victory on 3 September 2022.

The two most recent matches have ended in a draw, with the Derby della Madonnina only seeing three consecutive draws at Milan's home ground on two previous occasions.

But Inter are backed to win, due to their impressive away form. They have won their last nine Serie A away matches; the Nerazzurri could achieve 10 consecutive away wins in the competition for only the second time in their history (11 between October 2006 and March 2007).

Milan have earned just one point from their last two home league matches (a draw against Como and a defeat against Parma); they could lose two consecutive home Serie A games for the first time since between October and November 2023.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

AC Milan – 29.2%

Draw – 28.5%

Inter – 42.2%