Both teams lost 2-0 in Serie A at the weekend, against opponents, they would normally expect to beat comfortably.
After early flickers of promise, AC Milan and city rivals Inter, are sliding back into mediocrity, raising the possibility that the city will again be missing from the Champions League in 2015.
Both teams lost 2-0 in Serie A at the weekend, against opponents they would normally expect to beat comfortably, displaying symptoms of disorganised defence and toothless attack.
Milan's 2-0 home defeat by promoted Palermo, brought jeers for new coach Filippo Inzaghi, from the San Siro crowd, and left them sixth with 16 points from 10 games, nine adrift of leaders Juventus, and three behind third-placed Napoli.
Inter, meanwhile, went down 2-0 at Parma, who have lost all but two of their 10 matches, and are languishing ninth with 15 points.
Both teams appear to be setting their sights on third place, which would earn a Champions League playoff spot in 2015, and seem to have accepted that they cannot compete with the likes of Juventus and AS Roma, for this season at least.
Having finished fifth and qualified for the Europa League, in their first season, under coach Walter Mazzarri in 2013-14, the current season was supposed to be the launch pad for Inter.
But a 7-0 win over Sassuolo turned out to be a false dawn, and Inter went on to lose 4-1 at home to Cagliari, and 3-0 at Fiorentina, before spluttering into gear with single-goal wins over Cagliari and Sampdoria.
The Parma defeat, however, has sent them back into crisis mode, with club directors forced to voice their support for the beleaguered Mazzarri.
"I'm optimistic because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel," said sporting director Piero Ausilio. "I watch Mazzarri work every day and I know how much professionalism he gives to the team.
"He has the experience and capability to get out of this moment of difficulty. I think this team is good enough to compete for the objectives we set out at the start of the season, which is to improve on fifth place and return to the Champions League," concluded Ausilio.
FRESH AIR
Seven-times European champions, Milan, finished eighth in a disastrous performance in 2013-14, which cost both Massimiliano Allegri and Clarence Seedorf their jobs, although many felt the club's rudderless leadership was just as much to blame.
Like their neighbours, Milan seemed to be mired in an interminable transitional period, after selling off a host of top players in the past few seasons.
Inzaghi, previously coach of the club's Under-19 team, provided fresh impetus and seemed to bring out the best in Japanese forward Keisuke Honda, who scored six goals in their first seven matches.
But their last three games have brought draws against Fiorentina and Cagliari, and defeat by Palermo saw Honda failing to find the net and Fernando Torres out of sorts, as he was at Chelsea.
"I expected it to be difficult to get Milan back to a certain level with a lot of new players," said Inzaghi. "We had a surprisingly good start to the season but at times we struggle to react when going behind.
"We must remember the team has done well until now and this was a stumble but we will be right back up there if we beat Sampdoria on Saturday," concluded Inzaghi.
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