MILAN - (Football Data) - Facts and figures related to tonight's derby:
No Nerazzurri home victory since 1998
Inter haven't won a Milan derby played at home since 21 January 1998 when Branca's 32nd-minute goal decided a Coppa Italia match between the two sides. Since then there have been 3 draws and 4 Rossoneri victories. The Nerazzurri's worst run of derby form at home was from 1986/87 to 1993/94 when they went 9 matches without a win (3 draws and 6 defeats).
October derbies: Inter in front
Since the Serie A became a one-division championship in the late 1920s there have been 21 Milan derbies played in the month of October. Inter have the edge over the Rossoneri with 9 wins to 5. Inter have played 11 October derbies at home, with 5 wins and 3 defeats, while away from home the Nerazzurri have beaten Milan on 4 occasions and lost just twice. But Inter haven't won a Madonnina derby in October since 25/10/81 when Oriali scored the winner in a 1-0 away victory. Since that date there have been 5 October derbies (1984, 1986, 1995, 1999 and 2001). Milan have won 3, with the other 2 ending in draws.
Inter looking for fifth clean sheet
Cuper's men haven't let in a goal in their first four matches of the 2003/04 Serie A (against Modena, Siena, Sampdoria and Udinese). The last player to put one past the Nerazzurri was Di Loreto, who on the final matchday of last season grabbed a 90th-minute equaliser to earn Perugia a 2-2 draw at the Meazza. A clean sheet against Milan will see the Nerazzurri equal their start to the 1972/73 season, when after 450 minutes of football they still hadn't let in a goal. The first goals conceded that season came in a 3-2 defeat by AC Milan in Week 7.
Record start to season for Sheva
Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko has made a record start to the 2003/04 Serie A season with 4 goals in as many games. The Milan hitman scored 5 in 5 matches in 1999/00 (his debut season in Italy), though his 4th and 5th strikes came in Week 5.
Toldo's Inzaghi nightmare
Francesco Toldo has let in a total of 518 goals in official matches, with Vincenzo Montella and Pippo Inzaghi the most prolific scorers against the current Inter keeper (10 goals each). The AC Milan striker has scored against Toldo in: Leffe v Ravenna (1992/93 Serie C1), twice in Atalanta v Fiorentina (1996/97 Serie A), Juventus v Fiorentina (1997/98 Serie A), Fiorentina v Juventus (1997/98 Coppa Italia), Juventus v Fiorentina (1998/99 Serie A), twice in Juventus v Fiorentina (2000/01 Serie A), Inter v AC Milan (2001/02 Serie A) and Inter v AC Milan (2002/03 Serie A).
No Nerazzurri penalty since March
Among the Italian big five (Juve, Inter, AC Milan, Lazio and Roma), Inter are the Serie A side that await a penalty the longest. Juventus, Lazio and Roma have all been awarded penalties so far this season, while the last time AC Milan were given a penalty in the Serie A was at Piacenza on the last day of last season. In Inter's case you have to go back to Inter 4-0 Como on 16 March 2003 when Vieri missed from the spot. Since then, 13 championship weeks have passed (the last 9 of the 2002/03 season and the first 4 of the current campaign).
Shevchenko danger for Inter
AC Milan forward Shevchenko has scored 96 goals in competitive matches for the Nerazzurri's cross-town rivals. Ten of those have come in matches against Inter, the side the Ukraine hitman has scored most against.
