Akanji: ‘Inter can’t afford a poor start vs. Milan, they have to work hard if they want to score’

Manuel Akanji has warned his Inter teammates to avoid a slow start against Milan in Saturday's Derby della Madonnina. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, the defender stressed that Inter cannot afford to concede easy goals against their city rivals. Inter enter the fixture unbeaten and tied atop Serie A with Lazio, while Milan seek to rebound following a 4-2 defeat to Bologna.

Akanji noted that Inter have collected 13 points from losing positions this season, emphasizing that such mistakes will prove costly against top opponents. Despite Inter holding a winless run across the last seven derbies, Akanji highlighted that desire, defensive focus, and managing transitions will be vital to securing three points rather than focusing on early Scudetto talk.