AC Milan vs Inter Milan - Europa League qualification the aim for AC Milan

Barbara Berlusconi believes AC Milan can achieve their aim of qualifying for the Europa League - but feels the Champions League is where the club truly belong.

Whatever the Rossoneri do manage to take away from Sunday's derby meeting with Inter Milan, the fact remains that they are unlikely to force their way into the Serie A top three this term.

Victory over Inter at San Siro would elevate them to fifth place at best. Failing to trump their city rivals could leave them vulnerable to surprise packages Sassuolo and Empoli, or improving Lazio.

Berlusconi, a board director and daughter of Milan owner Silvio, feels the money invested in players during recent transfer windows should at least guarantee continental football.

"We must be honest and very direct with our fans," she told La Repubblica Sport. "I believe that Milan's goal this year must be to reach the Europa League - and that can be achieved.

"Next year, we must aim for the Champions League. That is Milan's natural stage.

"Last summer we spent enormous resources in the transfer market, almost 100million euros.

"The team is a good one and it is absolutely possible for us to achieve these goals."

Their fans might not agree but Milan are making steady improvements on the pitch and will hope to have made it six games unbeaten at the conclusion of Sunday's derby.

Inter, conversely, are on the slide having led the table for much of the autumn.

They have since been deposed by free-scoring Napoli and back-to-back draws against Atalanta and then lowly Carpi have seen them slump into fourth place.

Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic is urging his team-mates to dust themselves down and kick on.

"We have to rediscover our determination to get back to where we were before," he told inter.it.

"The derby may be a game like no other, but it is still worth three points.

"So far the title race has been finely balanced, and nothing is lost for us yet. There are still plenty of games to go and some of those are against our direct rivals."

Head coach Roberto Mancini has shrewdly identified a lack of goals - the Nerazzurri have rarely scored more than once in any match this season - and has reacted by signing Eder from Sampdoria.

With 12 strikes thus far, the Brazil-born Italy international trails only Napoli hitman Gonzalo Higuain in the scoring charts and will help shoulder some of captain Mauro Icardi's workload.

Inter won September's derby 1-0 thanks to a goal from Fredy Guarin, who will be unable to repeat his heroics as he has since departed for China and Shanghai Shenhua.