AC Milan and Inter Milan Prepare for First Derby of the Season

It's the greatest football rivalry in Italy and is among the very best in both Europe and the world.

The Milan Derby adds another chapter to an already incredible history on Sunday, as AC Milan and Inter Milan meet for the first time in Serie A this season with the stakes slightly different for each side.

Milan come into the match on 37 points, which sees them level with Juventus for the top spot in Serie A. After a slow start to the season, which was illustrated in a 2-0 loss to Juventus on October 2nd, the Rossoneri have picked it up big time, having not lost in Serie A for 12 matches, and have only lost once in all competitions since, a 3-2 loss to Barcelona.

With Massimiliano Allegri's contract no longer an issue, the Rossoneri come into the match looking to keep the top spot. They know that they are caught in the midst of an intense staring contest with their Lombardy rival, and both are waiting for the other to blink and falter.

Meanwhile, their ugly stepsister, Inter Milan, the spawn of angry AC Milan club officials in 1908, comes in, finally able to look over their shoulders and not see the likes of Cesena, Novara and Lecce breathing down their necks.

For the better part of the year, Inter Milan have been battling to stay clear of the relegation zone and have made a massive jump from 17th a couple weeks ago to now sitting fifth in the league.  They hold the second of two spots for the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League and are competing for a trip to the Champions League. These points would be vital in trying to jump Lazio and Udinese.

Age and injuries have been the problem for Inter in the past two seasons, much to the delight of Milan fans, who watched their club suffer with the same symptoms for several seasons after winning the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2007.

After a lot of disarray, Inter seem to finally have found a manager that can last. This will be the fourth different Inter manager to face Milan's second-year boss Allegri in the Derby. Rafa Benitez and Leonardo were both made to look silly in their Serie A meetings in 2010-11, while Gian Piero Gasperini's men blew a lead, falling in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana.

Now it is Claudio Ranieri's turn.

Ranieri has been brilliant for Inter, having righted the ship of a club that seemed destined for disaster and a drop from prominence as swift as Napoli's demise after the departure of Diego Maradona.

Even without some key players, Ranieri has been able to keep Inter afloat.

Luckily for him, Inter will have a full crop to pick from this weekend as it is reported that Wesley Sneijder, Thiago Motta and Diego Forlan are all healthy. Amid speculation that Sneijder could be going to Manchester United or Manchester City in England, it is still very unlikely that he doesn't play a key role in Ranieri's plans.

Milan will go in feeling healthy as well. Clarence Seedorf and Ignazio Abate both resumed training this week and should be ready to go. However, Alberto Aquilani and Gennaro Gattuso are ruled out.

Even more good news for Milan is the recent announcement that Pato will remain at the club, despite being linked heavily to Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Chelsea. He's scored only once in Serie A this season, but he may have a big role to play the rest of the way. His last Serie A clash with Inter was a memorable one, scoring in the first minute and then again in the second half as part of a 3-0 win.

This may not be like last season, where the clubs were first and second the whole way in Serie A so it was all about the title race, but this game means everything to these sides. That's without adding that, again, this is a derby—one of the most heated in the world. The team that wins has control of the city of Milan and San Siro until the two sides meet again in May.

The outcome may not be clear for Sunday's match, but it is guaranteed to be a thriller.

Recent Derby Results:

Aug. 29, 2009: Milan 0-4 Inter (Serie A)

Jan. 24, 2010: Inter 2-0 (Serie A)

Nov. 14, 2010: Inter 0-1 Milan (Serie A)

Apr. 2, 2011: Milan 3-0 Inter (Serie A)

Aug. 6, 2011: Milan 2-1 Inter (Supercoppa Italiana)

Probable Line-ups:

AC Milan:

Christian Abbiati

Ignazio Abate, Thiago Silva, Alessandro Nesta, Taye Taiwo

Clarence Seedorf, Mark van Bommel, Antonio Nocerino

Kevin-Prince Boateng

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho

Inter Milan:

Julio Cesar

Maicon, Walter Samuel, Lucio, Yuto Nagatomo

Javier Zanetti, Thiago Motta, Esteban Cambiasso

Wesley Sneijder

Diego Milito, Giampaolo Pazzini