AC Milan vs. Fiorentina: Key Issues That Will Shape Serie A Game

Milan host Fiorentina at the San Siro on Sunday in a match which could put the Rossoneri in a top-three position depending on other results.

Filippo Inzaghi's men have gotten off to a good start domestically. They have the league's best offense, having scored 16 goals so far. Unfortunately, the porous defense means that most games seem to end up in a shootout. 

They host a very tricky Fiorentina side that has once again been decimated by injuries, especially to their star strikers Mario Gomez and Giuseppe Rossi.

With all the issues and talking points surrounding these two important Italian sides, here are the top five that will shape the course of the match:

The Continued Fernando Torres Dilemma

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Since netting a fantastic header in the 2-2 draw against Empoli, Fernando Torres hasn't been able to find the back of the net.

At times he has looked disinterested, other times he just hasn't been clinical enough when it matters. His work rate hasn't been the problem, but one should've known that stretches like these were going to be common with Torres.

It remains to be seen how much longer Filippo Inzaghi continues giving the Spaniard the start from the first minute if he doesn't score, especially with Jeremy Menez waiting in the wings to play a false No.9 role.

The last time Menez started in the center of the attack, the Rossoneri scored five past Parma in a thrilling 5-4 victory. 

Fiorentina's Attack Without Rossi or Gomez

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Fiorentina's luck has been abysmal when dealing with their two star signings from 2013. Mario Gomez and Giuseppe Rossi were supposed to be the star attacking duo to bring La Viola back to the Champions League, but both have been absolutely decimated by continuous injuries.

Without the two stars, coach Vincenzo Montella has had to rely on his technical midfield and young striker Khouma Babacar. The 21-year-old Senegalese attacker scored 20 goals last season on loan with Serie B side Modena.

His pace and unexpected strikes from long distance could give Milan all sorts of problems, especially with the amount of playmakers Fiorentina have in the center of the field who could find him accurately in space.

Expect the trickster Juan Cuadrado to give Babacar the most support up front.

Milan's Inability to Protect the Goalkeeper

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Whether it's Christian Abbiati or Diego Lopez protecting the pipes, Milan's back line simply hasn't been able to stop opposing strikers from getting into dangerous positions.

Speaking of goalkeepers, that's another interesting dilemma that Inzaghi will have to sort. After Abbiati's recent world-class, almost otherworldly performance against Hellas Verona, he could continue to get the start as long as he's in form over a healthy Diego Lopez.

The real problem stems from the back line, and had to do with the likes of Daniele Bonera, who has since been removed from the starting lineup to the delight of everybody. 

As long as Inzaghi sticks with one center-back pairing, they should be able to gain chemistry and finally grow a proficient partnership.

The defense often gets blamed even if the real problem came from the midfield. In Milan, this seems to be the storyline. The unit's inability to string together a few passes certainly doesn't help the back four, who are often left in poor positions after a midfielder loses possession.

Young Coaching Battle

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Several seasons ago, Vincenzo Montella was in the same position as Filippo Inzaghi is in now. A decent run with Roma as a caretaker put Montella's offensive style of coaching on the map, and he received an offer from Catania.

After keeping Catania afloat, the Della Valle owners wanted Montella to spearhead their new plan of getting the Tuscan side back into Europe.

They never looked back, and Montella has been one of the most impressive young coaches in Europe with his fresh tactical ideas and desire to play aesthetically pleasing football.

Inzaghi isn't far off, only brought in during the summer after being in charge of Milan's youth side, he has similar tactical ideas as Montella and leads the highest-scoring offense in Serie A.

The Meteoric Rise of Honda

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No one could've really predicted such a fabulous start to Keisuke Honda's season.

He's now Serie A's joint-leading goalscorer with six strikes, tying Jose Callejon and Carlos Tevez at the top of the Capocannoniere list.

Honda's prolific start has to do with him finally settling down in Milan, learning the Italian language, and having a great chemistry with Filippo Inzaghi.

His positioning is the same as last season, but he looks quicker on the right wing, where he often likes to cut the ball on his left foot and cross or go for goal.

Fiorentina's defense is nothing to write home about either, so Honda could continue adding to his goal tally on Sunday.