Inzaghi cautious as high-flying Inter face struggling Milan

Although Inter Milan are enjoying a far more successful campaign than neighbours AC Milan, a poor run in this season's derbies has made Inter coach Simone Inzaghi cautious ahead of their two-legged Coppa Italia semi-final.

Champions Inter top the Serie A standings and Milan are ninth, and Inzaghi's team are on a five-match win streak in all competitions while Milan have lost four of their last six games.

In the three meetings between the teams this season, however, Milan won twice. Inter salvaged a 1-1 draw in the third in February, but bragging rights in the 116-year-old rivalry are Milan's ahead of Wednesday's first leg.

"We know we had difficulties this year, especially in the first one. The other two were balanced," Inzaghi told reporters on Tuesday.

"It's a Coppa Italia semi-final with Milan. It's a derby, there's a great desire to play an excellent match, knowing that we will be facing a quality opponent who have created many problems this year, not only for us."

Inzaghi is happy with how Inter have fared this season, holding a three-point lead in Serie A and beating Feyenoord to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

"The goal was to get to April in the running for all competitions, we know that now comes the hard part but it's a source of great pride to be in all competitions," the 48-year-old said.

Inzaghi said Milan were capable of causing trouble for any opponent, as they demonstrated in November in an excellent 3-1 win at Real Madrid in the league phase of the Champions League.

"We know it'll be a challenge to be played over 180 minutes," he said.

"We saw the last game, the derbies with us, the game against Real Madrid. It's a quality team, which has had some difficulties during the season, but in single games they have worried everyone. We'll need to be very careful."