AC Milan and Inter Milan to Lock Horns in First-ever 'Virtual Derby'

London: Serie A giants AC Milan will be facing off Inter Milan in their first-ever virtual derby on Saturday.

In a statement, the club announced that it has joined forces with digital sports broadcaster DAZN to play the match on KONAMI's Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 (PES 2020).

The game will see Portuguese striker Rafael Leao of AC Milan take on Inter Milan's striker Sebastiano Esposito in what is expected to be an exciting match up.

Ahead of the game, the two young strikers have confessed their love for video games, with football games being their favourites. "We can't physically be on a football pitch right now, so it will be quite fun to represent my team and play against Sebastiano (Esposito) on PES. This is a derby after all and I want to win, but most importantly this is a way to be a little closer to our fans in these difficult times," Leao said.

With Serie A, like the rest of Europe's elite leagues, suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, fans will be able to watch the game on AC Milan's official app, club's Facebook and YouTube channels and on TV subscription-based channel Milan TV.

The virtual Milan derby is part of a series of initiatives organised by AC Milan to unite all fans during the coronavirus pandemic and to invite them to contribute to the ongoing fundraising campaign launched by the club and Fondazione Milan in the fight against COVID-19. The campaign has so far raised over 600,000 euros.