Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stankovic admits the Serie A champions will come up against a buoyant AC in the Milan derby on Sunday evening.
Milan head into the game at the San Siro leading the table for the first time in two years following Wednesday's 3-1 triumph over Palermo.
That result lifted the Rossoneri one point clear of Lazio and they are three ahead of their city rivals Inter.
"Milan will be in buoyant mood because they are at the top of the standings," said Stankovic. "But we will be very motivated to do well.
"I'm not worried because even though we have lost a few points in recent weeks, Milan are just three points clear of us.
"I'm sure we will turn things around on Sunday.
"Motivation will not be lacking because the derby is always a beautiful and important game."
Draws against Brescia and Lecce have seen Inter slip to fourth place.
Both sides head into the match with injury problems. Milan are likely to be without top scorer Alexandre Pato and veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi for the game. Brazilian forward Pato picked up a muscle injury against Palermo while Inzaghi will miss the game with a knee problem.
Inter suffered a huge blow this week when a knee injury ended Argentina defender Walter Samuel's season, but the Nerazzurri are hoping to have Holland midfielder Wesley Sneijder available. Sneijder revealed he had case of anaemia and did not play against Lecce.
Anything but a Milan win would see Lazio regain top spot provided they beat third-place Napoli on Sunday.
The Biancoceleste have been flying high all season but suddenly find themselves on a two-match losing run.
After falling to derby rivals Roma, Lazio lost to Cesena on Wednesday.
Napoli, however, will arrive at the Stadio Olimpico riding on the back of a three-match winning streak.
Roma travel to Turin to face Juventus on Saturday.
After a very poor start to the season, Claudio Ranieri's Roma have clinched three straight wins in Serie A, including the 2-0 triumph over Lazio.
A win against Juve, the club that sacked Ranieri late in the 2008/09 campaign, could see Roma go ahead of the Turin giants in the standings.
Cesena travel to Tuscany to face Fiorentina inspired by their midweek 1-0 triumph over Lazio.
The outcome halted a run of three consecutive defeats for the team that won promotion from Serie B last term.
A Sicilian derby will also be played on Sunday when Catania, who have yet to win on the road, visit Palermo.
The president of Palermo, Maurizio Zamparini, was so disenchanted after his club's defeat to Milan that he announced the club would be put up for sale.
Marco Giampaolo coached Catania to a 1-0 triumph over Udinese in midweek to go level on 14 points with Sunday's rivals.
Genoa coach Davide Ballardini expects his team to build on Wednesday's 1-0 triumph over Bologna when they make the journey to Cagliari this weekend.
Their midweek success meant Ballardini has enjoyed a perfect start at the club since replacing sacked Gian Piero Gasperini this week.
Bologna will be wary of a Brescia side that have held Inter and Juventus to 1-1 draws this week when the two sides meet at the Renato Dall'Ara stadium.
Chievo visit Sampdoria having clinched just one victory in their last seven games.
Udinese's six-match unbeaten run came to a halt in midweek.
The Friuli outfit lost for the first time since September 22 in the setback at Catania.
Udinese host Lecce on Sunday with coach Francesco Guidolin serving a one-match touchline ban.
Bottom-side Parma go to Bari trying to end their winless run on the road this season.
The Gialloblu have not clinched three points away from home since beating Juventus in May.
