Milan 1-1 Inter Milan

Roberto Mancini left Inter Milan in 2008 but replaces Walter Mazzarri at the San Siro

Inter Milan fought back from a goal down to earn a draw in the Milan derby on Roberto Mancini's return as manager.

Mancini - who guided Inter to three league titles before leaving in 2008 - saw his side fall behind to Jeremy Menez's superb side-footed volley.

But Inter - who stay ninth - levelled with Joel Obi's low shot from 18 yards.

Both sides sought a win and Stephan El Shaarawy wasted a great chance for AC Milan, hitting the bar, before Inter's Mauro Icardi hit the post.

Endeavour from the sides - who share the same ground - was evident but since Mancini's departure six years ago, both have become Serie A also-rans.

The 49-year-old has since been employed by Manchester City and Galatasaray but the side he has inherited from the sacked Walter Mazzarri is a shadow of the one he built in three years from 2005.

In his last Milan derby, Mancini's side included Patrick Vieira, Esteban Cambiasso and Hernan Crespo, with Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and Kaka offering quality for the Rossoneri.

Jeremy Menez's volley notched his fifth goal of the season

Such glittering names were sparse on this occasion, with Chelsea loanee Fernando Torres peripheral for Milan - themselves only a point better off in seventh.

Mancini has warned he does not hold a "magic wand" to bring a return to the dominance he once cultivated at the Nerazzurri, but a dream start to his tenure almost arrived when Icardi raced on to a loose Sulley Muntari pass in midfield, only for Diego Lopez to produce a smart save.

The Spanish keeper's good work was quickly rewarded when Menez so deftly guided a delightful side-foot volley past the dive of Samir Handanovic.

It was a moment of true quality, a fifth goal of the season for the summer signing from Paris St-Germain and earned Filippo Inzaghi's side a half-time lead.

But the meeting of the two sides - locally known as the Derby della Madonnina - is fiercely competitive. Inter, with 76 wins, have just two more derby victories than their rivals.

Obi fired through the legs of a defender from the edge of the area to level before El Shaarawy ran on to a pass to smash against the woodwork at the other end.

With neither side playing Champions League football this year and wins needed to bridge the gap to the qualification places in this campaign, both were positive in the late stages.

Icardi swivelled on a volley to hit the angle of post and crossbar for Inter and when Milan's Andrea Poli saw a shot deflect agonisingly wide in injury time, the points were shared for only the second time since 2004.

Joel Obi celebrated his equaliser with some well-executed gymnastics