Manuel Akanji Reflects on Inter's Milan Derby Losses: A Tale of Two Defeats

Manuel Akanji voiced his frustration regarding Inter's display in their recent 1-0 defeat against city rivals Milan on Sunday evening. He elaborated on the disparities between this loss and their earlier-season encounter with the Rossoneri, stating, "Today was different. It wasn’t good enough from our side."

Akanji on Milan Derby Defeat: "Not Good Enough"

Inter, known as the Nerazzurri, suffered their second Serie A loss of the 2025-26 season against Milan, with Pervis Estupinan scoring the sole goal at San Siro on Sunday night.

Despite the setback, Cristian Chivu's squad maintains a comfortable seven-point advantage atop the Serie A standings, with ten league fixtures remaining. Nevertheless, a sense of disappointment permeated the team following their recent defeat to their cross-town adversaries.

During his post-match comments, Akanji noted, "I think they played exactly as we anticipated. They attempted to press high initially, and when that didn't work, they retreated, which was evident, especially in the first half." He added, "We made numerous misplaced passes, lost many duels, and gifted them chances by carelessly losing possession. Our defensive efforts were also lacking in several instances, ultimately leading to our defeat."

Should Inter secure the Scudetto in the 2025-26 season, it would mark their second Serie A title in three years. The club has also advanced to the Champions League final twice in the past four seasons and has claimed both the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italia twice over the last five campaigns.

A persistent critique leveled against Cristian Chivu's team, however, is their difficulty in defeating 'bigger' opponents in both the league and Champions League this season. Furthermore, the Nerazzurri have been unable to secure a victory against Milan in any of their last seven meetings.

Akanji explained, "I've only participated in the last two derbies – today's and the one from the first half of the season – and to me, they felt like completely different matches."

He elaborated on the first match, saying, "In the initial game, we thoroughly dominated them, creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities, even missing a penalty. We undoubtedly had sufficient chances to win. They, however, capitalized on a single chance to score, which secured their victory."

Regarding the latest match, Akanji stated, "Today was a different story. Our performance wasn't up to par. We lost many duels and gave away possession too easily. There were simply too many errors, and at times, we lacked sufficient aggression in challenges, which led to our defeat."

He continued, "As a team, I believe we failed to generate enough clear-cut chances in attack. We attempted crosses, but they didn't lead to much. Despite this, we still had decent opportunities to find the net."

"Just before they scored to make it 1-0, Mkhi (Henrikh Mkhitaryan) had a clear run at the goalkeeper but couldn't convert," Akanji recounted. "Then in the second half, Mkhi set up Dima (Federico Dimarco) for a goal, and there were also a couple of corner opportunities that the referee seemingly whistled before we could act. Additionally, a few situations might have warranted a penalty." He concluded, "While we attempted to create chances, our efforts simply weren't adequate today."

Despite the natural disappointment following Sunday's loss to Milan, Akanji maintained a focus on the positives.

"The coming days won't be easy. Losing a derby is never a pleasant experience," he acknowledged. "However, the silver lining is that we still hold a seven-point lead, giving us ample time to recuperate. Our next fixture isn't until next Saturday, a significant home game against Atalanta, but we will be prepared."

"We must improve upon what we failed to execute effectively today, and I am confident we can secure a victory in that match," he affirmed.