Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta says coach Simone Inzaghi retains the club's backing despite a poor run of form.

The Nerazzurri have lost two of their past three Serie A matches, falling to defeats against Lazio and Milan, and began their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 reverse against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Should Inter suffer another defeat against Torino on Saturday, they will have recorded three defeats from their opening six matches of a league season for just the fourth time in their history, after doing so in 2011-12 (four), 2000-01 and 1983-84 (both three).

The Italian press reported Inter held an emergency meeting on Thursday as they look to respond to their underwhelming run, but Marotta still has faith in the Nerazzurri coach. 

"The mood is that of a healthy realism, every defeat brings with it a more careful analysis of the problems," he said.

"We have a very united staff both at managerial and technical level. From a confrontation, something positive always comes out for the future.

"Inzaghi has a quality squad that he must use in the best possible way, based on the indications of the opponents and the training sessions. 

"I think he is doing it in the best way, even if unfortunately the last two games coincided with two defeats.

"But god forbid, he is doing a great job, he knows how to coach and manage the team very well."

However, Marotta did apologise to the Nerazzurri's supporters for recent performances, adding: "We are Inter, and if we want to say one important thing, everyone is more careful, from the management to the technical area and the players. 

"When you wear this shirt, you must be honoured, I'm sorry for yesterday's 60,000 and for the 70,000 of other occasions. 

"We have an obligation, we have to pay them back in the best possible way and we can only believe these mistakes will serve well for the future."

Inter's midweek defeat to Bayern means they have lost all four of their competitive home games against the Bundesliga giants.

That represents Bayern's best 100 per cent away winning record against any team in European competition, and Marotta acknowledges it is difficult for Serie A outfits to compete with their more monied European peers.

"We know that football in Italy is in the second row in the ranking," he said. "The excessive power of the Premier League, the Bundesliga, LaLiga is evident. 

"They are teams with great spending power and great champions. But this is no excuse, we lost against a stronger team, but we have to look for any defects."

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann believed his side "absolutely deserved the win" as they beat Inter 2-0 at the San Siro to kick off their Champions League campaign.

A brilliant first-half goal from Leroy Sane set the German champions on their way to victory, before a Danilo D'Ambrosio own goal as he clumsily tried to block a Sane shot killed the game off.

The Bundesliga side saw out the remaining minutes to earn a clean sheet and all three points to make it 11 games unbeaten against Italian teams in the Champions League, as they look for their first European title since the 2019-20 season.

And Nagelsmann was delighted with his team's performance, telling reporters: "I'm happy with the performance today. We had a good intensity throughout the 90 minutes.

"In both halves, we had a spell of 10 minutes where we gave the opponent space and our opponents can obviously play.

"But overall we absolutely deserved the win. It was important to start with three points.

While Nagelsmann was pleased with his players, he believes there is much work to be done as they hunt for trophies.

"I enjoy it when we win. But there are many areas of improvement, we want to exploit them and we will try to do it on a daily basis."

Elsewhere in Europe, former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick as his new side Barcelona opened up their Champions League group stage with a 5-1 thrashing of Viktoria Plzen.

Lewandowski returns to the Allianz Arena next week as his old and new teams face off, and Nagelsmann says he hopes the fans give him a good reception despite his somewhat acrimonious departure.

When asked about facing him, Nagelsmann added: "I am looking forward to it, yes. Not so much to facing him, because he is very dangerous in front of goal.

"But as a person I will be pleased to see him. I hope the fans will honour that too, regardless of how things were with his departure."

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi lamented his side's failure to "play the perfect match" after their 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

A first-half goal from Leroy Sane and a Danilo D'Ambrosio own goal were enough for the Bundesliga champions to open their group-stage campaign with three points at San Siro.

The winners of the 2019-20 edition of Europe's premier competition dominated Inter, attempting 21 shots at goal compared to the Italian side's nine as Inzaghi's men only registered two shots on target.

Inzaghi was frustrated with his team's lacklustre performance, telling Sky Sport Italia: "In the first 20 minutes we lost many duels against an intense, extraordinary team, one of the strongest in Europe.

"After the first goal, where we had to do better as a team, we created many potential chances but we missed several last passes unfortunately.

"We brought more pressure in the second half and had opportunities to [get back into it].

"It is clear that you have to play the perfect match against such opponents, we were facing a team of the highest quality, among the best three in Europe in my opinion."

The defeat to Bayern is Inter's second in a row, after they were beaten 3-2 by city rivals Milan at the weekend.

Striker Edin Dzeko knows his team must improve if they are to compete for Serie A and Champions League silverware, telling Mediaset Infinity: "I think Bayern were stronger than us today. It is the truth. Teams like this punish you for every mistake.

"I'm not worried. I know we are strong and we are definitely not 100 per cent yet. These defeats just prove that we have to work."

Bayern Munich defeated Inter 2-0 at San Siro in their Champions League opener thanks to a first-half strike from Leroy Sane and Danilo D'Ambrosio's own goal.

The visitors dominated the opening stages and deservedly went ahead through Sane when he brilliantly brought down a Joshua Kimmich long ball, before rounding Andre Onana and drilling home.

Julian Nagelsmann's side came under increasing Inter pressure in the second half, but D'Ambrosio's awkward attempt at a block from a Sane shot killed the game off and earned Bayern all three points.

Bayern have now won their last 19 Champions League openers, as the Bundesliga titans paved the way for what they hope will be qualification from a tough Group C.

The most decorated club competition in the world is back underway, and Wednesday's Champions League action promises some fireworks.

Winners in 2019-20, Bayern Munich will travel to the San Siro to take on Inter, while last year's runners-up Liverpool head to Napoli for a game they are favoured in.

Reigning Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt will look to keep up Germany's strong record against Portuguese teams when they host Sporting CP, and Harry Kane will be aiming to build on his superb European record as Tottenham host Marseille.

For a closer look, Stats Perform have dove into some interesting facts and nuggets about each matchup on Wednesday to give a clearer picture about how these clashes of champions may play out.

Inter v Bayern Munich

After their last Champions League run ended in a quarter-final loss to Villarreal, Bayern Munich will be desperate for a much improved result as they seek their seventh title, beginning their campaign away from home against Inter.

The sides have evenly split their seven previous European meetings, with three wins each and one draw, although it has been over a decade since their last Champions League fixture back in 2011.

While they do not have much recent history against Bayern in this competition, Inter's games against German opponents have turned into goal-fests, with 39 total goals (19 for, 20 against) in their past 10 matches.

Bayern have had much more success against Italian sides, going unbeaten in their past 10 (8W, 2D) – with their last loss coming in that 2011 battle with Inter, and the Nerazzurri were also the last side to keep a clean sheet against them in the 2010 final.

Romelu Lukaku will be a hard man to replace for the Italians as he will be absent after suffering a thigh injury. In his 16 European contests for Inter, he has 17 goal involvements (13 goals and four assists).

Napoli v Liverpool

This will be the third time in the past five seasons that Napoli and Liverpool have landed in the same Champions League group after back-to-back years in 2018-19 and 2019-20, with the Italian side winning all three of their home games.

Napoli have not featured in the last two editions of Europe's top competition, but they were a force in the group stage before their drought, with only one loss from their previous 12 matches (5W, 6D).

Mohamed Salah's seven goals in last season's group stage was the second-most ever in a group stage from a player on an English team, trailing only Ruud van Nistelrooy's eight during Manchester United's 2004-05 campaign. Salah is also one assist away from tying James Milner and Steven Gerrard for Liverpool's record number of assists in the Champions League (12).

Tottenham v Marseille

In the first ever competitive meeting between these two sides, Tottenham will likely be confident in their ability to get the job done at home against a Marseille side long removed from any Champions League success.

From their past 15 Champions League games, Marseille have only one win, against Olympiakos in 2020. English sides have given them particular trouble as well, as they have 12 losses against Premier League sides in their history in the competition – twice as many as against any other nation (six losses against Italian teams).

Harry Kane will be looking to add to his stellar European record, with 23 goal involvements (20 goals, three assists) in 24 career fixtures. Of all players with at least 20 Champions League goals, only Erling Haaland (64), Mario Gomez (102) and Lionel Messi (103.7) have a better minutes-per-goal figure than Kane's 104.4

Eintracht Frankfurt v Sporting CP

The reigning Europa League champions, Eintracht Frankfurt are making history with their first-ever Champions League berth, becoming the 14th German side to ever qualify – breaking the tie with Spain (13) for the most by any nation.

German sides have given Sporting trouble over the years, with 13 losses and one draw from 14 tries in European competition, with that emerging as a theme between the two nations.

Against all Portuguese sides, German teams are undefeated in their past 15 Champions League matches (13W, 2L) dating back to 2006.

After netting five times in last season's Europa League triumph to take his tally up to 11, Eintracht's Daichi Kamada can enter the club's record books as one of their top-three goalscorers in European competition with one more.

Other fixtures: 

Ajax v Rangers

20 - Ajax scored 20 goals in their six matches in last year's Champions League group stage, winning all six. It is the most goals they have ever scored in a Champions League group stage, before being eliminated by Benfica in the first knockout round.

19 - This will be Rangers' first Champions League appearance since 2010-11, and in their history, only Anderlecht (17 per cent) have a worse winning percentage in the competition than Rangers' 19 per cent. They have lost all four of their previous European meetings against Ajax.

Atletico Madrid v Porto

13 - This will be Atletico Madrid's 13th Champions League campaign, moving them past Valencia into the third-most for a Spanish side, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 27). This is Atletico's 10th berth in a row, all under Diego Simeone.

26 - This is Porto's 26th Champions League, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid. If they were to be eliminated in the group stage this season, it would be the first time they failed to make it through the group stage in back-to-back campaigns since 1998.

Club Brugge v Bayer Leverkusen

1 - There has been only one win from a Belgian side against a German team in 24 Champions League meetings (18L, 5D) – and it was Brugge just last season, defeating RB Leipzig 2-1.

9 - Leverkusen have failed to win the opening match of their Champions League run the past nine times they have qualified (8L, 1D), with their last opening win coming in 2001.

Barcelona v Viktoria Plzen

33 - Barcelona striker Robert Lewandwoski is the top overall Champions League goal-scorer from the past three seasons, with 33 goals in 26 games. Last season, he netted nine goals in five home games,

24 - In their only two previous Champions League fixtures against Barcelona, Viktoria Plzen have averaged 24 per cent of the possession, and have lost the shot-count by a combined margin of 36-4.

Sadio Mane will provide vital Champions League experience with his "special gift for leading the team" despite his quiet demeanour, according to Julian Nagelsmann.

Mane will play his first game in UEFA's flagship club competition for the Bundesliga champions on Wednesday at Inter, where Bayern have a perfect record in Europe (three wins in three games).

The Senegal international will attempt to fill the void left by Robert Lewandowski, who left for Barcelona, and brings crucial experience, having lifted the Champions League with Liverpool in 2019.

Mane has started life in Germany in fine form, scoring three times in five games, and needs one more goal to become just the fourth African player to score 25 or more goals in the Champions League.

While Bayern have shared the goalscoring burden after the forward's arrival from Liverpool, Nagelsmann says Mane will bring more to his side than just goals.

"I expect that he will pass on his experience to other players and live up to his claim to leadership," Nagelsmann told reporters. 

"He has a special gift for leading a team – not even as a loud speaker."

Bayern are among the pre-tournament favourites despite crashing out at the quarter-final stage last term, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Villarreal after Samuel Chukwueze's late goal at the Allianz Arena.

While the Bundesliga side have not lifted European football's main prize since 2013, Nagelsmann welcomes the favourites tag as he looks to atone for last season's disappointment.

"Bayern Munich should always be one of the favourites, given their history," he added. "The Champions League is always special, even hearing the anthem. I've never been to the San Siro as a coach.

"There have been many historic games here. I don't know yet whether it will be the same tomorrow. The opening game isn't decisive but we're trying to get off to a good start."

Inter have been somewhat off the pace in Serie A, winning three games and losing twice to sit eighth in the embryonic table following a 3-2 derby disappointment against fierce rivals Milan last time out.

Bayern are also unbeaten in 10 games against Italian opposition in the Champions League and have won all 18 of their group-stage openers since the 2003-04 term.

But Manuel Neuer warned Bayern cannot afford to be complacent, nor underestimate Simone Inzaghi's side amid an underwhelming start to the 2022-23 season.

"It's the start of the Champions league, you can't say that," Neuer responded when asked if Inter were a weakened side from last campaign. 

"It's a completely different atmosphere and a chance for Inter to restart. We won't underestimate the opponent.

"We're among the favourites. In the past few years we haven't managed to make it to the end. Bitter defeats like the last one against Villarreal hurt. We have the ambition and the incentive to get very far."

Simone Inzaghi set Inter a 10-point target for their daunting Champions League group as Hakan Calhanoglu warned of the danger of shipping more gift goals.

A sleepy Inter defensive display saw the Nerazzurri toss away an early lead to lose 3-2 to Milan in Saturday's Serie A derby, with goalkeeper and captain Samir Handanovic having an off day.

While that is a recent concern, Calhanoglu pointed the finger at costly errors in Champions League games against Real Madrid and Liverpool last season.

A 1-0 group-stage home defeat to eventual champions Madrid was tough to take after Inter missed a host of chances before leaking an 89th-minute Rodrygo goal; then another dominant display at San Siro against Liverpool in the first knockout round proved worthless as two late goals gave Jurgen Klopp's team one foot in the quarter-finals.

Inzaghi's team face Bayern Munich in a tricky opener on Wednesday, and with Barcelona also in Group C, along with likely whipping boys Viktoria Plzen, the battle for places could be fierce. Only the top two go through to the knockout rounds.

Inter have home advantage for the first meeting with Bayern, and Inzaghi said: "We have to score 10 points in this group. which is objectively very difficult even compared to last year. But we are Inter and facing Bayern is an opportunity: they are one of the three to four candidates to win the trophy."

Last season saw Inter scrape together 10 points from their six group games, but the opposition, along with Madrid, was provided by Shakhtar Donetsk and Sheriff.

This time around it looks tougher to plot a route to double figures.

Midfield playmaker Calhanoglu said: "Last year, we dominated against Real Madrid and Liverpool. We had the games in our hands but lost due to small mistakes that changed the way they went.

"We need to be more focused and united on the pitch. We've analysed our mistakes and are ready. This year, we're in another difficult group, but this is what the Champions League is like. It's great to be involved and play against strong sides to see what point we're at."

In the Bundesliga, Bayern have drawn consecutive games against Borussia Monchengladbach and Union Berlin. This might be the time to face them, though Bayern have often punished teams in the past who thought that way.

"I have seen Bayern's last two games," said Inzaghi. "In terms of numbers, there has been no competition. The opponents have been good at limiting them with continuous aggression. Bayern have such intensity and aggressiveness as to be one of the best teams in Europe."

Inter and Bayern have met seven times in European competition, both sides winning three apiece, with one draw. Inter got the better of Bayern in the 2010 Champions League final on neutral ground at the Santiago Bernabeu, but the Germans have a 100 per cent winning record in away games in Italy in the rivalry (W3).

Bayern's Sadio Mane could become the fourth African player to reach 25 goals in the Champions League. He is currently one away, looking to join illustrious company in Didier Drogba (44), Mohamed Salah (36) and Samuel Eto'o (30).

The former Liverpool forward came in effectively to replace Robert Lewandowski, ahead of the Pole transferring to Barcelona.

Having to face both in the group stage will test Inter's fragile backline, but Inzaghi is backing his players.

"We met Mane already last year, he is a great player with a crazy intensity," Inzaghi said. "Lewandowski is another great player. In a month and a half we will meet them both: they are very difficult but very stimulating matches."

Simone Inzaghi blamed an Inter "blackout" for the 3-2 derby defeat to Milan at San Siro as Rafael Leao's double settled the Derby della Madonnina.

The Inter head coach was unimpressed with his team's defensive performance as the Rossoneri took local bragging rights, with Leao's double and an Olivier Giroud strike countered by goals from Marcelo Brozovic and Edin Dzeko.

Inzaghi, whose title hopefuls have lost two of their first five games of the Serie A season, praised Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, although the Frenchman only made three saves.

"We found a great Maignan and they scored against us very easily," said Inzaghi. "To win the derby we needed to do more, half an hour is not enough."

Brozovic gave Inter an early lead, but Leao levelled in the 28th minute, on his 100th Serie A appearance.

The Portuguese winger set up Giroud to put Milan ahead, before dancing through a ragged Inter defence to fire the nominal home side 3-1 ahead, at the stadium the clubs share.

Dzeko halved the deficit, but Inter could not get back on level terms.

"Now we will analyse the game and our mistakes," Inzaghi told DAZN. "At the beginning the game was balanced. After the 1-1 we had a blackout half an hour which cost us two goals that we cannot concede. We probably deserved more, but we had to do better."

He added: "I have to try to understand what happens to us in those moments: we are the same as last year, but we have conceded eight goals in five games."

Milan boss Stefano Pioli saw his side go at least briefly to the top of the table.

"There is a great rivalry that has strengthened in recent years," Pioli said of the derby. "Inter wanted to prove themselves superior, but they did not succeed. I coach lads who continue to amaze me with their energy and their constant desire to improve.

"We were good at reading the game, Inter made us dribble and we did it without forcing hasty plays.

"We had prepared for the game in this way, precisely knowing how Inter would play. We have shown maturity on the pitch, we have an awareness that makes me happy. For 70 minutes we played like a great team."

Pioli's lone complaint was that he felt Milan let their attention drift after going two goals clear, saying that at that point, "we thought we had already won, and it is a mistake we must not make".

Rafael Leao marked his 100th Serie A appearance in style with a derby double to help Milan beat Inter 3-2 at San Siro.

The Portuguese winger added an assist into the bargain as he proved to be the class act on display, having stayed at Milan amid recent interest from Chelsea.

Leao's efforts allowed Milan to score a second successive league derby win over their city rivals, with whom they share the famous stadium. It is the first time they have achieved this since first time since the 2010-11 season, when Milan won their first two league derbies under Massimiliano Allegri.

Olivier Giroud also scored as Scudetto holders Milan took the Derby della Madonnina honours, with Marcelo Brozovic and Edin Dzeko getting the goals for Inter.

Milan's defence splintered in the 21st minute to allow Brozovic a clear run on goal, with the midfielder taking on a throughball from Joaquin Correa and slotting into the bottom-left corner.

Eight minutes later, Leao came up with Milan's equaliser, a left-footed shot that arrowed across Handanovic, who got a fingertip to the ball but could not prevent it finding the right corner.

Sandro Tonali, Theo Hernandez, Charles De Ketelaere and Giroud threatened as Milan stepped up their game before half-time, gaining the upper hand.

It was Giroud who put them ahead in the 54th minute, with Leao's cross from close to the left touchline finding the French striker who send a bobbling shot across Handanovic and into the net. The goalkeeper should have done better.

Inter's defence could hang their heads in shame at the defending that allowed Leao to saunter through to fire his second and Milan's third goal in the 60th minute. The forward's nimble footwork was impressive, but the absence of a tackle was embarrassing.

There was a lifeline for the Nerazzurri when Dzeko cracked in Matteo Darmian's low centre, and Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan kicked away another shot from the Bosnian as Inter searched in vain for an equaliser.

All eyes turn to one of the biggest derbies in world football this weekend, as Milan and Inter battle it out at the San Siro.

The two arch-rivals went toe-to-toe in the hunt for the Serie A title last season, with Milan emerging victorious on the final day to clinch the league crown for the first time since 2011.

Stefano Pioli's side have begun their title defence with an unbeaten start to the campaign, securing two wins and two draws, while Inter have won three of four, losing to Lazio last Friday.

Still early in the season, a single point separates the two and bragging rights are on the cards on Saturday, though neither side has a particularly good record against one another in recent years.

Milan seek to end poor derby return

A 2-1 victory over Inter in February, where Olivier Giroud netted a brace, puts Milan in hunt of consecutive league wins against Inter for the first time since 2011 – which were the first two league derbies played under Massimiliano Allegri.

While they were victorious in that particular clash, the two Coppa Italia semi-final ties in March and April saw Milan unable to score in either tie, meaning they could go three consecutive derbies without scoring for the first time since 1980.

Milan's last win as the designated host at San Siro against Inter came in Serie A back in January 2016, with Inter winning three and drawing three against the Rossoneri since then.

Inzaghi's unwanted record

Simone Inzaghi has only won one point in his first two derbies in Serie A since joining the Nerazzurri and is seeking a win to prevent an unwanted record, as failure to do so would see him become the first Inter coach not to win any of his first three matches against Milan in the top-flight since Osvaldo Bagnoli in 1993 (D2 L1).

In order to secure victory, Inter could turn to Joaquin Correa who has scored four goals in Serie A against Milan, more than any other side. The Argentine has also scored four goals in his last five appearances in the competition, having gone goalless in his previous 18.

Either way, there should be goals and a victor as Inter are the only team, excluding relegated and promoted sides, not to draw a Serie A match since last April.

During that sequence, Inter have 11 wins, at least three more than any other team, and two losses – one of which was the 3-1 defeat to Lazio last Friday.

Leao vs Lautaro

Having fended off transfer interest from Chelsea, Rafael Leao is set to make his 100th Serie A appearance in Saturday's game and the Brazilian's record sees him stand as one of the finest young players in the division.

Among players born since 1999, Leao has provided 16 Serie A assists, more than anyone else, and has scored 24 goals – putting him behind only Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic (55) and Inter's Andrea Pinamonti (25), who is on loan at Sassuolo.

With Romelu Lukaku absent through injury, Inter will turn to Lautaro Martinez to find the difference and the Argentine enters the tie in a fine vein of form.

Martinez has been involved in a goal in each of his first four appearances this season (three goals, one assist), only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2007-08) and Nicolo Barella (2021-22) have had a hand in a goal in their first Serie A appearances in a second for Inter since 2004-05, when Opta started collecting assist data.

Pioli's perfect return

Though Milan's recent record against Inter does not make for pretty reading, their overall record heading into Saturday's derby is encouraging as they have won five consecutive home matches in Serie A.

A sixth in a row with victory against Inter would see Milan hit that tally for the first time since August 2014, under Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi.

Milan's defence is also looking strong, having kept a clean sheet in their last two Serie A matches. A third this weekend would see Milan secure three clean sheets in the first five top-flight seasonal games in three campaigns in a row for the third time in their history (after 1952-23, 1953-54, 1954-55 and 1978-79, 1979-1980 and 1981-1982).

Paris Saint-Germain have been hit with a fine from UEFA that could rise to €65million after failing to comply with break-even rules put in place by European football's governing body.

The Ligue 1 champions were one of eight clubs served with financial fair play penalties, with Roma, Milan, Monaco, Besiktas, Inter, Juventus and Marseille the others affected.

UEFA said its Club Financial Control Body analysed the financial years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 for clubs that competed in its European competitions last season, with special measures applied for 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic's impact on football.

PSG have invested heavily in star players including the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma, while retaining the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in their ranks.

They must pay €10m, with the remainder of their punishment suspended for now, payable only if they fail to meet future targets.

Given the wealth of PSG's Qatari owners, questions will be asked about how significantly any such fine might affect the French giants.

Italian club Roma were served with a €35m fine, but similarly to the PSG case, only €5m of that is unconditional. They will avoid paying the rest if they meet UEFA requirements in future. Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, won last season's Europa Conference League.

Their Serie A rivals Inter, Juventus and Milan were hit with €26m, €23m and €15m punishments, but must pay only €4m, €3.5m and €2m initially.

Turkish outfit Besiktas were fined €4m, but will pay €600,000 for now, while PSG's domestic opponents Marseille and Monaco were each penalised €2m, required to pay just €300,000 if they toe the line.

UEFA said: "These eight clubs agreed to financial contributions of €172m.

"These amounts will be withheld from any revenues these clubs earn from participating in UEFA club competitions or paid directly.

"Of this amount, €26m (15 per cent) shall be paid in full while the remaining balance of €146m (85 per cent) is conditional depending on these clubs' compliance with the targets stated in the respective settlement agreement."

Those settlement agreements will span three or four years. Inter and Roma requested four-year terms, while all other clubs elected for three years.

UEFA said the clubs would "undertake to reach intermediate annual targets, and to the application of conditional financial and sporting measures should these targets not be met".

It added that 19 further clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City, Sevilla, Lazio, Napoli and West Ham, fulfilled the break-even requirement only "thanks to the application of the COVID-19 emergency measures and/or because they benefited from historical positive break-even results".

UEFA said these clubs would be "further asked for additional financial information and will be monitored closely in the upcoming period".

Stefano Pioli is set to unleash Rafael Leao on Inter in Saturday's Milan derby after keeping suitors at bay before the transfer window closed.

The exciting Portuguese forward was thought to be a target for Chelsea but remains with Milan and is poised to make his 100th Serie A appearance against the Nerazzurri.

Up to this point, Leao has started in 69 of his 99 league games, and among players born from 1999 onwards he has provided the most assists (16) in the competition.

In terms of goals scored among that age group, the 23-year-old stands third on the list with 24, behind only Dusan Vlahovic (55) and Andrea Pinamonti (25).

Pioli never believed he would lose Leao before the shutters went up on the market on Thursday, but the finality will have come as a relief to many associated with the club.

"I have never been worried about the possible departure of Leao, I have always seen him fully involved and determined," Pioli said on Friday.

Milan won the last league derby, a 2-1 victory in February when Olivier Giroud's double saw the Rossoneri come from behind to take the points, an important result on the way to a first Scudetto since 2010-11, dethroning Inter in the process.

It means Milan will be looking to win consecutive league games against their city rivals for the first time since 2011, although Inter got the better of the two-leg Coppa Italia semi-final between the teams in March and April.

Pioli said Giroud had "a crucial role" to play in Saturday's game, and stressed Milan have prepared "down to the smallest detail".

"I expect a vibrant contest: the derby is the derby and so it will be an even contest," Pioli said. "We must not lose focus for even a second, we'll have to move hard and fast. Effort, aggression and sacrifice will all be required."

The transfer window has been an inevitable distraction despite Pioli's best efforts to focus on Inter. Milan look to have traded prudently in its closing stages, agreeing loan deals for Barcelona's American full-back Sergino Dest and Wolfsburg's teenage Belgian midfielder Aster Vranckx, while also signing Schalke's young centre-back Malick Thiaw.

Pioli described the newcomers as "important players with ample room for improvement".

Dest arrives in the wake of Milan losing right-back Alessandro Florenzi to a leg muscle injury that will reportedly sideline him for around eight weeks.

"We are gutted for Florenzi's injury," said Pioli, quoted on Milan's official website. "He is a leader on and off the pitch. We're still evaluating how to proceed in order to manage his recovery in the best possible way."

Assessing what Dest brings, Pioli said: "He has quality and pace, we got him to play the full-back position but he has the right characteristics to play in other roles too."

Simone Inzaghi admits Romelu Lukaku's recovery will take some time but the Inter boss still feels his side can "make a difference" without their forward when they face Milan in the Derby della Madonnina.

The two local rivals meet at San Siro this weekend for the first time since the Nerazzurri defeated Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals last term.

However, the Rossoneri prevailed in the pair's battle for the Serie A title, with Inter missing the pinpoint power of forward Lukaku following his move to Chelsea.

An underwhelming season back in the Premier League led to the Belgian's return to Inter on loan, but a thigh injury means he will miss their biggest match of the season to date.

Inzaghi insists his team will cope without Lukaku, saying at his pre-match press conference: "The hope is for [Lukaku] to recover before the international break. It will take some time, but the medical staff is working on his recovery. We must prepare for these eventualities.

Inzaghi discussed his various selection dilemmas for the derby, with centre-back Alessandro Bastoni missing the midweek 3-1 win against Cremonese with a fever.

"He was not 100 per cent already before the Cremonese game with a fever, and in these two days he still was not well," he said. "I will decide as soon as I get him back in the group in training, as well as for the attack where I can choose between three players and figure out who to support Lautaro [Martinez].

"On Tuesday, [Joaquin] Correa did very well and scored, [Edin] Dzeko did a great job.

"I also have to choose in the wide positions. [Robin] Gosens has been stationary for six months. Right now I'm preferring to let him enter the race. In the derby I will decide between him, [Federico] Dimarco and [Matteo] Darmian."

The former Lazio boss understands what the game means, both locally and in the wider title picture, and called on his players to show "nastiness and determination" on Saturday.

"Last year, we played many derbies and the last one allowed us to win a trophy," he said. "A derby is loaded on its own - two strong teams face each other and the matches are balanced, decided by individual episodes.

"We need to make a difference. We know it's an important match. It needs to be a tour-de-force between now and November - it will take nastiness and determination."

Inter have completed a season-long loan deal for Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi.

The Italy international will spend the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign at San Siro, where he will wear the number 15 shirt.

Inter had been targeting Acerbi for several weeks, with Simone Inzaghi keen to strengthen his options in the heart of the Nerazzurri defence.

Club president Steven Zhang reportedly blocked the deal initially due to concerns over increasing the wage bill, but has since given the green light for the 34-year-old to join the ranks.

Acerbi is Inter's seventh signing in a window that has also seen the arrivals of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Andre Onana, and the return of Romelu Lukaku.

The centre-half brings a wealth of experience to the back line, having also appeared for Chievo, Milan and Sassuolo in Serie A, while chalking up over 30 appearances in each of the last eight seasons.

Acerbi, who was yet to feature this term under Maurizio Sarri, was also part of the Italy's victorious squad at Euro 2020, playing in three of the Azzurri's seven matches.

He could make his Inter debut against former side Milan when the rivals lock horns on Saturday.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi was proud of his team's "mature" performance after they ran out 3-1 winners over Cremonese at San Siro on Tuesday.

Joaquin Correa and Nicolo Barella scored first half goals to set them on the way to victory and Lautaro Martinez added a third with a precise finish, before David Okereke netted a late consolation.

The win for Inter is a positive response after they were beaten 3-1 by Lazio on Friday, and three points move them into second above rivals Milan, who they face on Saturday.

Inzaghi was pleased with his side's response to the defeat against Lazio, telling DAZN: "I am very happy, we won a difficult match against a team that collected less than they deserved.

"We have one point more than last year, the condition is improving, we know that we will face many matches, we must definitely improve.

"We were criticised after the match against Lazio, against a very strong team, but there was a lot of noise about this defeat, but today we played a mature game."

When questioned on the significance of moving above Milan ahead of Saturday's derby, Inzaghi replied: "It means nothing.

"It seems to me too early to look at the standings. Tonight I saw the reaction of a mature team."