Sad Inter to battle buoyant AC Milan

[Shola Sholaz]

Resurgent AC Milan, buoyed up by their win over Barcelona, meet an Inter Milan side mired in a mid- season crisis in Sunday's Serie A derby which also features maverick striker Mario Balotelli facing his former club.
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The mood in the two camps could not be more different with Inter, who at one stage were one point behind leaders Juventus, in a slump and their rivals on a high after Wednesday's 2-0 win in the Champions League.
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Milan have also enjoyed a resurgence in the league, helped greatly by the signing of maverick striker Balotelli who has scored four goals in three games since his move from Manchester City.
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The wildly unpredictable "Supermario" will be facing the club where he spent four seasons and made his top-flight debut.
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Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni has emerged victorious from both his previous meetings with AC Milan and badly needs a third win to rescue his side's season.
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Cagliari will have to host Torino behind closed doors after the latest saga involved their scandal-plagued Is Arenas stadium while leaders Juventus are at home to lowly but improving Siena.
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The Milan rivals have undergone a role reversal since the start of the year with AC Milan, whose early- season struggles led to weekly speculation over the future of coach Massimiliano Allegri, now ahead of Inter.