Real Madrid vs. AC Milan: 3 Things the Rossoneri Should Test in Friendly Game

The two most prolific sides in Champions League history square off on Tuesday as Milan take on Real Madrid in a glamorous friendly in Dubai.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Filippo Inzaghi was quick to point out that a match against Real Madrid is never a friendly for the Rossoneri.

While the match takes place right in the middle of the winter transfer break, it'll be seen as a great commercial opportunity for both sides in a thriving football market.

This will be a great test for Inzaghi to try out a few new things against a top-tier opponent that has won the last 22 matches in all competitions under ex-Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.

An Attack Without Keisuke Honda

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Keisuke Honda is unavailable for the match as he'll be traveling for the Asia Cup in the next month. While ESPN FC's Ben Gladwell reports new signing Alessio Cerci still hasn't arrived from Atletico Madrid, Inzaghi will be looking to kickstart the attack without the Japanese international.

Honda has been a constant for his new coach throughout the season, scoring six goals in the process and cementing himself a place on the right wing.

Without him, expect Milan to try a different formation including a new attack.

Giacomo Bonaventura should play an advanced role alongside the Frenchman Jeremy Menez and Stephan El Shaarawy. Strangely enough, Il Faraone was kept out of the starting lineup for the last two domestic matches, so it'll be interesting to see how he does against Real Madrid.

Madrid is expected to hold on to the majority of possession, so Milan could find plenty of success on the counter with both Menez and El Shaarawy running at the defense.

Both of the players have searing pace and could form a deadly partnership alongside Cerci once the Serie A season commences.

A 4-2-3-1 Look

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Inzaghi should play a 4-2-3-1 without Honda, using another playmaker like Riccardo Saponara to link up the midfield with the attack.

This formation means that Riccardo Montolivo has a more defensive role playing right in front of his back line.

His best attribute in the center of the park certainly isn't his defending, even though he's a hard worker. Montolivo often likes getting forward and joining the attack while looking to unleash a shot from outside the box.

Also, AC Milan News indicates Daniele Bonera and Michelangelo Albertazzi are expected to play as the makeshift full-backs. The two aren't offensive players by any capacity, so they should take a very defensive role against Real Madrid's juggernaut offense.

In a 4-2-3-1, the side can become quickly unbalanced if the full-backs make the overlapping runs—especially since there are already four attack-minded players in the opposition's half.

How Inzaghi deals with Real Madrid's attack will be one of the keys to the game.

Their Best Central Defenders for the Ultimate Test

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Who are Milan's two best central defenders? Ask 50 fans, and you'll probably get 50 different pairs thrown your way.

Inzaghi must continue with what has worked in the last few matches in Serie A, considering that Milan has managed to keep two consecutive clean sheets against both Napoli and Roma.

The one constant centre-back has been Philippe Mexes, who seems to have found great form after being virtually shunned from the team for the first few months of the new season.

The other centre-back has changed as Adil Rami partnered up alongside Mexes against Napoli, while Cristian Zapata took over against Roma. 

The 32-year-old Mexes has a great chance to showcase his ability against arguably the finest attack in world football. He's a player who was once touted as one of the best defenders in Italy during his time with Roma.

Unfortunately, the French international has been plagued by his own temper, often giving in to his penchant for making malicious tackles that leave his team down to 10 men.

So far, Mexes has seemingly reined in his overly aggressive behavior to some degree. He'll need to continue this sparkling run of form against Real Madrid and finally give a constant factor to Milan's back line, which is desperately hoping for two centre-backs to move away from the pack.