AC Milan and Inter Milan meet at San Siro on Wednesday in an eagerly-awaited Derby della Madonnina Champions League semi-final first leg.
After spending years in the European wilderness, Milan and Inter are truly back on the continental stage, both reaching this stage for the first time in over a decade.
This is already the fourth meeting between the sides this season, with a win apiece in Serie A, as well as Simone Inzaghi's Inter coming out on top in the Italian Super Cup.
Both sides won 2-0 against fellow top-four candidates at the weekend, so spirits should be high in the two camps ahead of this monumental clash.
Here, Sports Mole has selected its strongest combined XI of players expected to feature for Milan's heavyweight clubs on Wednesday.
The goalkeeper position is one of the toughest to choose from between these two clubs, as Mike Maignan and Andre Onana have both been standouts for their respective sides this season. Onana came up big in both of their trips to Portugal on their run to the semi-finals, making crucial saves as Inter kept clean sheets at Porto and Benfica. However, Maignan has been a revelation since joining from Lille in 2021, earning the accolade of Serie A's best goalkeeper on the way to Milan winning the Scudetto last season, as well becoming France's new number one choice between the sticks.
Inter often start with three at the back and utilise wing-backs, but we have chosen to go with four defenders for this combined XI, so Davide Calabria is our choice to go in at right-back. The Milan captain has been a reliable figure on the Rossoneri's Champions League run, as his magnificent displays against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the tie with Napoli were a huge factor in them progressing. Denzel Dumfries offers a brilliant attacking threat at right wing-back knowing he has Matteo Darmian behind him to cover, but his defensive capabilities remain questionable.
Milan have had a much tougher year than last on the league front, with central defenders Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu enduring a slight dip in form, not helped by the fact Maignan has missed large chunks of the season. At Inter, Francesco Acerbi continues to excel in Italy at 35 having joined from Lazio in the summer, and he has built a great relationship with Darmian and Alessandro Bastoni, keeping Stefan de Vrij out of the side and limiting the damage caused by Milan Skriniar's absence, so Acerbi and Bastoni are our picks in the centre.
Left-back is unquestionably the toughest position to select, as there is a strong argument to suggest that both Theo Hernandez and Federico Dimarco have been the best in that position in all of Europe this season. Dimarco offers a devastating attacking threat with his wand of a left foot so is often a source of goals and assists, but he also showed his defensive strengths in the wins over Porto and Benfica. However, Hernandez is the perfect embodiment of the modern full-back and showcased that with a sensational goal versus Lazio at the weekend. The Frenchman also excelled in his nation's run to the World Cup final at the end of 2022, being nominated for a place in the FIFPRO World XI, so Hernandez, only just, gets the nod.
Inter will fancy their chances at winning the midfield battle given their mix of creativity, pace and fight among their players in the middle of the park. Hakan Calhanoglu and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have joined on free transfers recently and enjoyed a productive time at the club, but Nicolo Barella and Marcelo Brozovic will likely play a huge role if Inter can tip the tie in their favour. Barella is a true all-rounder, offering a goal threat, having a great eye for a pass as well as being a tough tackler, and he is perfectly complemented by Brozovic alongside him, as the Croatian never stops running and is widely known for his combative nature, so those two take a place in this XI.
The other spot in our three-man midfield was a much closer decision, as Calhanoglu brings a very viable threat thanks to his technique and incredible set-piece ability, and despite being the big name in the Milan midfield, Sandro Tonali lacks the consistency to really be compared to the likes of Barella. Our choice is Algerian Ismael Bennacer who has become pivotal for Stefano Pioli's side in recent weeks, as the box-to-box midfielder was instrumental in seeing off Napoli in the quarter-finals, scoring in the first leg, as well as helping them to a big victory against Lazio on Saturday.
Considering Inter do not play with attacking wingers given their 3-5-2 shape, it is no surprise that our two wide men both ply their trade for the Rossoneri, with Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao taking their places in our combined XI. Leao is an absolute superstar and despite a slow start to the season, last season's Serie A MVP has found his form again in 2023, with two dazzling performances away to Napoli in the space of 16 days which saw him score twice in a 4-0 league win, before claiming one of the assists of the season in their quarter-final second leg against the Partenopei. Alexis Saelemaekers has been in brilliant form in the last few weeks, but Diaz is a very underrated member of the Milan squad and his influence is greatly appreciated by Pioli, especially given his all-important goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the last 16.
Up front, there are a number of options to choose from in these two squads, with veteran duo Edin Dzeko and Olivier Giroud likely to play an important role for both sides in linking up play, winning aerial duels and being in the right place at the right time in the box. Romelu Lukaku has also hit form at the right time, but it is the Belgian's striking partner Lautaro Martinez who gets the nod for us in attack. The Argentine has had another mixed season, but has a World Cup winner's medal and 23 goals to show for it, as he has six in his last six after ending an eight-game scoring drought against Benfica in the quarters.
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Andrew Delaney
