Akanji's Warning: No Easy Goals in Derby della Madonnina

Manuel Akanji has drawn a hard line in the dressing room ahead of the Derby della Madonnina. No more slow starts. No more gifts.

On Saturday, Inter and AC Milan meet in a clash that could tilt the Scudetto race before winter has even bitten, and the Swiss defender has made it clear: if Milan score, they will have to earn it.

Inter flying, Milan wounded

Inter arrive at the derby sitting on top of Serie A, level on points with Lazio but with the aura of a side that has forgotten how to lose. Cristian Chivu’s team have taken 25 points from nine games in the 2026-27 campaign – eight wins, one draw, and an unbeaten record that has them setting the early pace.

Across the city, the mood is very different.

Milan are still digesting a 4-2 defeat to Bologna, their first league loss of the season and a jolt to a previously smooth start. The table adds a brutal edge to the occasion: if Inter win, the gap between the rivals stretches to 10 points. In October, that is not a title decider, but it is the kind of margin that lingers all year.

Inter know the stakes. They also know their flaw.

Despite their dominance, Chivu’s men have developed an uncomfortable habit: they fall behind, then fight their way back. They have already rescued 13 points from losing positions this season. It speaks to character. It also screams danger in a derby.

“We can’t give away easy goals”

Akanji did not try to dress it up.

“It's not easy to give an explanation. It's not that we start badly, but sometimes we make mistakes and concede goals,” the Switzerland international told Sky Sport Italia. “We can't afford to do that, especially against the big teams.”

He has seen enough football to know that not every opponent punishes you. Milan usually do.

“Sometimes you might get away with it, especially if the opponents don't convert the chances they create. We know that we can't start like that against Milan, we can't give away easy goals. They will have to work hard to score.”

That is the message: no charity, not this weekend.

Inter’s recent history in the derby only sharpens the warning. They have not beaten Milan since April 2024. Seven derbies without a win. Five defeats, two draws. For a club that measures itself against its neighbour as much as any trophy, that is a scar.

So what breaks that run?

“The desire to win. That's what counts in a derby,” Akanji said. “We have to show it from the first minute and not just bring a sense of hunger, but the desire to go and win. Mentality is what drives desire.”

The defender is not talking about slogans on a wall. He is talking about tackles in the first minute, second balls around the box, sprints in the 90th when the legs burn.

Title race, tired legs

The table suggests Inter can land a heavy blow on Saturday. Akanji, though, refuses to treat it as a coronation.

“It's still early, but of course it would be great to win this game,” he admitted. “The teams close to us are picking up points and it will be difficult to stay up there. For us, the derby is one of the most important games of the season, we want to get the three points.”

He has Milan’s approach from last season still in his mind.

“Last year, Milan showed us their low block and played intelligently. We can't give away easy chances. We all have to defend and make things difficult for them. We have to take advantage on transitions when we have the ball.”

That sentence captures the tactical battle to come. Milan, wounded by Bologna, may tighten up, sit deep, and look to spring forward. Inter, urged by their centre-back, must stay switched on without the ball and ruthless when it turns over.

All of this is layered on top of a calendar that has barely allowed players to breathe.

Akanji did not hide from that either. The expanded 2026 World Cup has stretched bodies and minds, but for him it is part of a longer grind.

“It's not just about that, we have to think about the last few years as well. Before that, there was the Club World Cup and the Euros the summer before,” he said. “Fortunately, next year, there will be a proper break. When you play as much as that, starting again straight away is difficult.

“You might be happy, maybe you had a good World Cup, maybe you need a rest, but there's no time. The body responds to the present, the mind less so. It's not easy. I'm 31 years old now, we have to think and play as a team. We want to finish well before the international break.”

It is a rare glimpse into the physical and mental toll behind the glossy surface of a title challenge. Inter are not just fighting opponents; they are fighting fatigue.

Derby demands a fast start

On Saturday, all of those threads converge at kick-off.

Inter step onto the pitch knowing that their derby record has to change and that another slow start could undo weeks of good work. They cannot rely on yet another comeback against a rival that has repeatedly punished their lapses.

A win would do more than keep them at the summit. It would crack Milan’s belief, reinforce Chivu’s methods, and show that this Inter can handle the weight of expectation and the strain of a relentless schedule.

The message from Akanji is simple. No excuses. No early gifts.

If Milan want to spoil Inter’s season, they will have to fight for every inch.