As Italian fans exhale and brace for playoff drama after the latest chapter of World Cup qualifying torment, their attention swings back to Serie A where the Milan derby takes centre stage and could prove pivotal early in the title race.

Leaders Inter meet third-placed AC Milan on Sunday with the two eternal rivals separated by two points in a high-stakes match that could carry the weight of something larger than just an early-season checkpoint.

With no more international breaks until March, managers will be happy to keep their squads together in the coming months, none more so than two new coaches in Inter's Cristian Chivu and Milan's Massimiliano Allegri.

INTER HIT THEIR STRIDE

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