AC Milan vs. Inter Milan: How the Rossoneri Should Line Up in Serie A Game

One of Europe's most meaningful derbies is right around the corner, so let's take a look at how Milan should line up against Inter under Filippo Inzaghi.

The new Rossoneri coach will have to counter a side that has just undergone a coaching change when they fired Walter Mazzarri and brought in Roberto Mancini for his second stint with the club.

Since 1990, Milan have won the derby 20 times compared to Inter's 19, showing that such an evenly contested affair must have just the right setup to get the necessary points and start a new chapter in Serie A.

Here is a breakdown on what would work best in Inzaghi's starting XI given the players who are healthy and able to suit up.

Goalkeeping

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The starting goalkeeper will be Diego Lopez. While Christian Abbiati had a few decent performances filling in for the Spaniard after his injury, there's little doubt that a healthy Lopez would be benched going forward.

While he's had some mistakes so far in his brief Milan tenure, the ex-Milan goalkeeper has also shown the knack for making world-class saves in one-on-one situations.

With the way Milan's back line has been defending, Lopez should see a steady stream of shots coming his way from Inter, and he'll have to be ready when called upon.

Historically, Milan hasn't had too much success with goalkeepers, but Lopez could be one of the better ones once he starts gaining continuity and seeing a better defense in front of him for protection.

Defense

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Here's where things get a bit tricky. With Daniele Bonera suspended and Ignazio Abate still iffy, Inzaghi will have to go with a makeshift defensive line against Inter.

The latest indications from Italian paper La Gazzetta dello Sport show that Andrea Poli might be used as a makeshift right-back with Mattia De Sciglio on the opposite flank.

While the versatile Poli has featured as an emergency full-back when needed, it certainly isn't his best position, and he could get caught out defensively. If this isn't done, expect to see Alex in the heart of the defense with Adil Rami playing as the right-back.

In the middle, Philippe Mexes is expected to partner up alongside Rami. The two have experience as a starting pair for the French national team, and they could do a bit better than what we've seen from other duos.

Cristian Zapata hasn't been convincing recently and should be left on the bench alongside fellow Colombian Pablo Armero, who has been virtually shunned from the starting XI by Inzaghi.

Midfield

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Milan must try to hold possession against Inter and feed off a packed San Siro, so going with a more offensive look in the centre of the park is a must.

Nigel de Jong could feature in the derby despite a nagging hamstring injury. He'll be the obvious choice in the centre of the midfield if he's able to go the full 90. If he isn't, it's very likely that the experienced Michael Essien will take his role and patrol the area right in front of the defense.

With captain Riccardo Montolivo still not fully fit after suffering a leg injury picked up before the World Cup, Inzaghi must find creativity through Giacomo Bonaventura, who has been used more as a side midfielder in recent weeks rather than a winger.

The other midfield position could go to either Marco van Ginkel, Sulley Muntari or Poli. Using Van Ginkel in the derby from the start could be a risky proposition as he's only played 30 domestic minutes for Milan this season. Expect to see Muntari as the third starting midfielder going up against his old team.

Attack

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The latest report from La Gazzetta shows that Fernando Torres will not be starting from the first minute.

It's not really a surprising decision if it goes that way, given the fact that the Spaniard hasn't really been able to break through and do well on a consistent basis.

In his place, expect to see the mercurial Jeremy Menez as a false nine. This gives the Rossoneri a much different look as they'll have no fixed reference point to give the Inter back line, and it could cause them a few problems.

Flanking Menez, expect to see Keisuke Honda on the right flank with Stephan El Shaarawy taking up the opposite flank. El Shaarawy will be the man to watch upfront. The 22-year-old finally broke through after a 622-day scoring drought and netted a beautiful curler from the edge of the box against Sampdoria.

El Shaarawy will look to give the team pace alongside Menez going forward, and they should constantly interchange positions to try and catch Inter's defense off-guard.

Coaching Battle

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Inzaghi vs. Mancini.

Inzaghi has only four months of experience coaching in the top flight, while Mancini is a veteran of taking over teams and is coming in for his second stint with Inter.

Inzaghi's 4-3-3 will take on Mancini's more stable 4-3-1-2. It remains to be seen how the midseason formation change will affect Inter, going from Mazzarri's previously awkward 3-4-1-1 to Mancini's favored tactical setup.

There's plenty of grit in both of the midfield units that'll be deployed, so creativity could come at a premium.

With both defensive units conceding plenty, expect a sloppy game with plenty of mistakes at the back which could really turn into a high-scoring affair decided by a goal or less.

Ultimately, it'll be a stiff test for both sides. A draw seems like the most likely scenario between these two historic teams desperately trying to get back to winning ways.