The first leg of the Champions League clash is not until February 24, but a seven-point lead at the top of Serie A could make them complacent.

“The Nerazzurri could be – albeit unconsciously – affected by the imminent match against the European and World champions,” Sacchi told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Inter are in great shape, but Jose Mourinho could ‘feel’ the upcoming meeting with Manchester United more than this derby, as eliminating them would give the club enormous international prestige.”

However, there are other reasons behind Sacchi’s concerns about tonight’s Derby della Madonnina.

“Milan are missing Kaka, who is a big loss, but Inter are too dependent on the extraordinary Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

“It should also be noted that the Rossoneri rarely get it wrong in the big games.”

The Milan derby will be shown live this evening on BBC3, kick-off is at 19.30.

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