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The city of Milan will be at the daggers drawn this weekend as two of its favourite sons Inter and AC, lock horns in the 222nd Derby della Madoninna at the San Siro on Sunday.
Whilst the Nerazzurri's have shrugged off a stuttering start to climb up to third in the standings with 16 points from 8 games, the Rossoneri's are once again struggling to find consistency. A stop-start campaign so far sees them languish 10th in the table and four points off their crosstown rivals. However, the last three games in all competitions have produced convincing results.
So both Inter and AC enter the derby with high spirits and a rich vein of form, something that makes this clash all the more unpredictable and worth looking forward to.
Here's how the current Inter Milan and AC Milan teams would stack up in a combined XI:
Goalkeeper: Samir Handanovic
Players have come and gone, but the Slovenia international has stood the test of time. He remains Inter's undisputed No.1 choice in goal even after over 250 games since making his debut. That speaks volumes about the player, his longevity and his undeniable talent.
Handanovic may have registered just three clean sheets so far, but he's had a big role to play in the fact that Inter have leaked just six goals in eight games so far. After all, he's made 23 saves so far and proved to be one of the safest pairs of hands in the league. In 11 games against AC Milan, he's lost just twice and maintained four clean sheets too.
The 34-year old would have to muster every ounce of his goalkeeping nous to keep the likes of Higuain at bay.
Right-back: Davide Calabria
Mattia De Sciglio's transfer to Juventus left a huge void in this position, but thankfully for Milan, Calabria has rose to take over the mantle and effectively cement the void. He's proved to be really good both offensively as well as defensively, bombing forward at will whilst also tracking back in time to cover the gap he left behind.
The 21-year old averages over 3 tackles and almost 2 clearances per game, comfortably beating his opposite number Daniel D'Ambrosio.
Centre-back: Stefan De Vrij
Inter Milan signed the Dutchman from Lazio in order to beef up the backline, and he's doing a great job so far, conveniently dovetailing in Spaletti's schemes and marshalling the backline with great authority. De Vrij's ability to sniff danger has seen him make almost 4 clearances per game.
He has also forged a great understanding with Skriniar in no time. Never one to hold back from throwing his entire frame while making a block, the centre-back's intervention will be essential in keeping Milan at an arm's length.
Centre-back: Milan Skriniar
Skriniar joins his defensive acolyte here in the combined line-up, having turned in a string of positive performances so far. The 23-year old is robust, powerful and throws his weight around in the defence when Inter where on the backfoot.
He too averages almost 4 clearances per game while his fearlessness in trying to thwart an attack has seen him make 2.2 tackles per game.
Left-back: Kwadwo Asamoah
The Ghanian fullback is now in his 10th year in the Serie A, and with his third club, but he has consistently delivered for Udinese, Juventus and now Inter, where he has got off to a flyer.
Asamoah has made 10 interceptions in 7 games while his penchant to zip forward at every opportunity has also resulted in five chances created. He also maintains great work-rate and never stops for a second to take a breather.
Right winger: Suso
Touted to be one of Spain's brightest young talents, Suso is growing by leaps and bounds under the stewardship of Gennaro Gattuso. He's turned out to be the most offensive player from the team with two goals and six assists, the highest by a player in the league so far.
He's also laid the most through balls, completed most take-on, and averages 3.4 key passes per game. Suso has outshone Higuain to be the brightest player forward and would be vital in unlocking Inter's obdurate defense.
Central midfielder: Lucas Biglia
Not a name to garner headlines everytime and a disastrous World Cup with Argentina behind him, Biglia has got to the challenges of the new season like a player determined to make a mark. And he certainly is: in 8 appearances, he's made 12 interceptions and won a mammoth 16 tackles to absolutely dominate the midfield battles, while he has also proved to be a great protective cover to the back four with his vision and vigilance. To add further, Biglia has also made 10 blocks so far. He would be the key in obstructing Inter from launching attacks.
Central midfielder: Marcelo Brozovic
If Biglia has been great, Brozovic has been better. The Croat has been immense at the back, acting as a fifth man, but more impressive is his attacking influence, creating as many as 10 chances so far!
He also trumps Biglia with 20 tackles won in the same number of appearances, and also has a goal to his name. Brozovic also lays an average of 1.4 key passes per game, which is exactly twice as much as Biglia.
Left-winger: Ivan Perisic
Perisic normally gets shrouded amid Icardi's barrage of goals, but the Croat remains as effective as ever. He is a versatile wideman and constantly flails between the flanks to make great attacking contributions.
His directness and a keen eye for goal make him equally dangerous and would be looking to add to his two goals and assists each that he's managed in eight appearances.
Striker: Mauro Icardi
Inter Milan's talisman for the last three years now, Icardi has literally carried his side through the thick and thin with his consistently impressive goalscoring exploits. Don't forget, it was his winner against Lazio in the final game of last season that brought Champions League nights back to the San Siro. He also bagged the Serie A Golden Boot and is back to business with three goals and two assists.
Icardi struck a hattrick in this fixture last year, and would fancy his chances to score another bout of goals again.
Striker: Gonzalo Higuain
Higuain has had his share of spoils with Inter in the past, but this would be his first appearance in the Milan derby and a good run in the recent games hold him in a good stead. He has struck thrice in the last two games, including the brace to sink Chievo last time out, and will have to produce the goods again here to drag his side to a win.
And Higuain knows a thing or two about scoring against Inter, having struck six times in nine appearances since arriving in Serie A in 2013.
