Akanji: Inter must not start badly in the Milan derby

Inter defender Manuel Akanji urged his teammates not to start slowly ahead of the Derby della Madonnina on Saturday evening. Akanji said that rivals Milan would have to work hard to find the net. The derby kicks off at 19:45 GMT and will be the first Milan derby of this season.

Milan lost 4-2 at home to Bologna this week, suffering their first league defeat of the 2026-27 season. Inter, meanwhile, sit at the top of the table alongside Lazio. The Nerazzurri have 25 points from eight wins and one draw and remain unbeaten.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Akanji said he had started on the bench in the Venezia match but did not feel physically tired. The Swiss player noted that Inter have taken 13 points from matches in which they fell behind this season, and admitted that the team has occasionally made mistakes and conceded goals as a result. He stressed that this is a luxury against big teams.

Akanji reminded that a win on Saturday would put Inter 10 points ahead of their city rivals, but argued that it is still too early to talk about the title. He added that nearby teams are picking up points and that staying at the top will be difficult.

Akanji also reflected on the impact of the expanded 2026 World Cup on preparations. He described recent years as demanding, saying the Club World Cup and last summer's European Championship had stretched the schedule. He said next year will not bring a proper break and that restarting after such a pace is hard.