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AC Milan and Inter Milan face each other in the Supercoppa Italiana on Wednesday in Riyadh, and it's going to be a crucial match for both sides. Not only because it will be the first chance to win a trophy this season, but also because as things stand it's unlikely that one of the two teams will win the Serie A title this year considering how well Napoli are performing so far. Winning this title can shape the final perception of their whole season, as it happened for Inter Milan last campaign. Simone Inzaghi's side failed to win the Scudetto but managed to win both the Supercoppa and the Coppa Italia. Without those two trophies, the final considerations about their season were going to be much different. 

This is the reason why Wednesday's game can shape the feelings around their current season and can also affect the coming months, as it happened last year after Inter Milan lost the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan on Feb. 5. From that moment on, their season completely changed and the Rossoneri started their run that led Pioli's team winning their first Scudetto in eleven years. However, this season they are both struggling to improve their defensive performances and lost some certainties in that part of the field compared to the recent past. Let's try to understand why this is happening, even if in different ways, for both sides. 

Viewing information 

  • Date: Wednesday, Jan. 17 | Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • Location: King Fahd International Stadium -- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Paramount+

Pioli's issue: Does he need one more CB? 

Pioli started off the current 2022-23 season after losing former club captain Alessio Romagnoli as a free agent. The club decided to not invest in experienced players to replace him, also considering the comeback of Simon Kjaer after his knee injury. Pioli currently has five center backs on the roster: Fikayo Tomori, Kjaer, Matteo Gabbia, Pierre Kalulu and Malick Thiaw, who was signed last summer from Schalke 04. Last season AC Milan based their league success on the defense and especially on the individual performances of Kalulu and Fikayo Tomori. Their perfect combination and defensive work were the reasons why the Rossoneri conceded only 31 goals in 38 matches.

Also, the great performances of goalkeeper Mike Maignan were another reason for their success, but the French player was injured for many games this year and his replacement, Ciprian Tatarusanu, didn't deliver as the starting goalkeeper did. That saw the club sign Marco Sportiello as a free agent in the summer. The much-awaited comeback of Maignan will definitely help AC Milan to improve their defensive record, but they will probably need another starting center back. Last summer, the club decided against signing center back Sven Botman and Newcastle signed him instead. If we look back at that decision, it was probably a mistake considering his form in England.

Inzaghi's issue: Too many goals conceded 

Inter Milan had a quite difficult start to the Serie A season but are now slowly coming back and are currently fourth, only a point behind AC Milan. After 18 matches, Inzaghi's team already lost five games and conceded 24 goals, more than any other side in the top ten of the league. If we compare Inter Milan with AC Milan, it's clear that the Nerazzurri are suffering much more than their rivals this season but their poor defensive results don't depend on individual performances. Inter only replaced Francesco Acerbi with Andrea Ranocchia in the summer and the former Lazio player was always one of the best when he played up to this potential. So, Inter Milan probably lost some of their defensive solidity that was the key factor that led them to win the Scudetto under Antonio Conte two season ago and to win two trophies in the past season. Last season, they managed to keep that mentality but this time around something has clearly changed. 

Key player Milan Skriniar had a quite poor start to the season as he was probably affected by the rumors about his possible departure after the PSG nterest. The former Sampdoria player still has to extend his contract that is up this summer, and reports suggest that he might not extend the agreement with his current club. Losing Skriniar as a free agent in the summer of 2023 would be a major blow for the whole team and the manager as the club will need to find a replacement at his level. However, in the last matches, it looks like Inzaghi found a way to again have that defensive mindset that helped this team to win three trophies in the past two seasons. In fact, Inter Milan only conceded two goals against Monza and then didn't concede against Serie A leaders Napoli and against Hellas Verona. The derby against AC Milan will tell us much more about their defensive status and if they are actually improving or not.