Finally, Champions League is back and in Match Day 1 Inter Milan host Real Madrid in a Group D encounter at the San Siro stadium. Both teams would be looking to kick off their Champions League journey on a winning note.
https://instagram.com/ballthatmatters?igshid=1wlttk94e247j
PREVIEW
Both Inter Milan and Real Madrid have gone head to head in UEFA Champions League 13 times with the overall record being evenly poised with both the teams coming on top of each other 5 times while one game has ended in a stalemate. Both the teams were in the same group in the last edition of the Champions League with Los Blancos coming on top over both the home and away leg fixtures with a scoreline of 3-2 and 0-2.
There is a lot of change in both the teams in comparison to the last Champions League Simone Inzaghi has taken over the side from Antonio Conte while Carlo Ancelotti is the in-charge of Los Blancos after Zinedine Zidane handed over his resignation. Both the teams were hit hard by the pandemic so in order to recuperate they had to let go of some of their key players in order to sustain themselves, Inter would be without their strikeforce Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi and Real would be stepping in without their most successful defensive pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane as all these players left to their new destinations.
Inter has started their Serie A campaign well under Inzaghi gathering two wins out of three but were held the last match against Sampdoria ending in a 2-2 draw and is currently sitting in 4th positon while Real has managed to win three games out of four with one ending in a draw but is leading the La Liga table thanks to their prolific goal scoring form.
TEAM NEWS
Inter
Inter’s experienced defender Alessandro Bastoni who picked up a thigh injury during the international break is a serious doubt for the match while rest is all fine for Inter and Inzaghi is expected to have a fully fit squad at his disposal.
Real Madrid
Meanwhile, Los Blancos would be without some of their key players with the Welshman Gareth Bale picking up a muscle injury while Toni Kroos, Marcelo, Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos still recovering from their respective injuries. David Alaba and Luka Jovic have been named in the squad but it remains to be seen whether they are given minutes after missing the last game against Celta Vigo.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
INTER
LAUTARO MARTINEZ
Since the departure of Romelu Lukaku, the Argentinian Lautaro Martinez is now the main man for Inter so far he has scored 2 goals in this year, Serie, A campaign, and Inzaghi would be hoping that he step up his game and expect some more goals from him in this match.
NICOLO BARELLA
This man needs no introduction he was an important player for Italy in winning the Euros and he is continuing the same form with Inter this season he is currently leading the assists chart in Serie A with three assists and his runs driving forward would be a great threat for Los Blancos.
REAL MADRID
KARIM BENZEMA
Real Madrid would be looking forward to none other than their captain Karim Benzema. Benzema has been the main man for Real Madrid and the only source of consistent goals since the departure of Christiano Ronaldo he is in prolific goal-scoring form leading the race for the Pichichi award with five goals with a hat trick in the last match.
VINICIOUS Jr.
He is no longer the old Vinicius which we have known for the past 2-3 seasons he is no more bottler in front of goal Carlo Ancelotti has done great work with him in improving his finishing skills and the result is in front of everyone he has scored 4 goals in as many matches already equaling his last season tally and is behind Karim Benzema in the Pichichi race. He is looking sharper fitter and focused and it would be a huge task for the Inzaghi side to keep him in check.
PREDICTION
Although Real Madrid would be without many key players they are expected to go through this match. You can expect a close contested match with a scoreline of 1-3 in favor of Los Blancos.
For more such articles do click here
