Inter Milan and RB Leipzig, two teams with contrasting fortunes in the Champions League, will face off at San Siro.
Simone Inzagi will be extremely satisfied with Inter Milan’s season so far on all fronts as he prepares to host a hapless RB Leipzig side at San Siro. The Nerazzurri are one of the six teams in the UEFA Champions League yet to lose, and they are also part of an even smaller group of clubs yet to concede a goal in the competition.
Atalanta are the other team that have yet to concede a goal, and Inzaghi will aim to continue to maintain their stance on both fronts. At the weekend, Inter Milan thrashed Hellas Verona away from home with a 5-0 reverse scoreline, and that will be seen as optimal preparation for a tough game in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
They began their European journey with a deserved goalless draw away at Manchester City and have since won their three encounters. Their most recent win came against Arsenal at San Siro, as a late first-half penalty from Hakan Calhanoglu secured the three points in what appeared to be a hard-fought victory over the Gunners. Now, they are eagerly waiting for RB Leipzig at San Siro, as Inzaghi will expect another win.
While Inter Milan come into the game to secure their fourth win in five games, Marco Rose’s RB Leipzig side are desperate to open their account in the competition. Sitting in an unprecedented 32nd place in that rather long table, the German side is losing massive ground in the competition, and they will desperately want a win to get back into the running.
Their form has left a lot to be desired, as some of their recent results have seen them lose ground in the Bundesliga title race. They are currently third in the league and have lost their last two games, including the one at the weekend against Hoffenheim.
Leipzig are one of the five teams in the Champions League yet to secure a point. For a team of their quality and stature, it will seem unprecedented not to qualify for the next phase. Considering how much ground they have already lost, Rose should now focus on getting a place within the top 24 in the table.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi does have a few worries about the availability of three key players: Lautaro Martinez, Francesco Acerbi, and midfield general Hakan Calhanoglu. The latter sustained a thigh injury while on Turkey duty and missed the weekend’s match against Verona.
Acerbi went off early in that game at the weekend and is highly unlikely to return for the Leipzig encounter, given the limited time between those two clashes. As for the skipper, he did return late from his Argentina commitments and has since been ill, which casts major doubts on his availability.
Inter Milan do not have any other problems with injuries or suspensions, meaning Inzaghi will have plenty of options to replace the trio if they are unavailable. Benjamin Pavard and Stefan de Vrij are in line to start, while Yann Bisseck could come in on the left-hand side to replace Alessandro Bastoni. The latter has had a load of minutes with Inter and the Italy national team so that a rest would be in order.
Kristjan Asllani replaced Calhanoglu at the weekend and might retain his place at the heart of Inter’s midfield, as Nicolo Barella and Piotr Zielinski feature on either side of the Albanian. With Martinez still in some doubt, Inzaghi might prefer to start Mehdi Taremi in the Argentine’s place and Marcus Thuram alongside the Iranian.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, de Vrij, Bisseck; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Zielinski, Augusto; Thuram, Taremi
RB Leipzig
The potential absentee list ahead of this crucial UEFA Champions League encounter at San Siro will not help Marco Rose instil the confidence to get a good result. RB Leipzig are missing a host of key names ahead of this trip to take on Inter Milan.
Xavi Simons, David Raum, Xaver Schlager, Eljif Elmas, Yussuf Poulsen and El Chadialle Bitshiabu are all out of contention for this trip. Rose will go ahead with a variation of the 4-4-2 for this clash, which could see Castello Lukeba stationed in at right-back.
Lukas Klostermann and Willi Orban will play centrally, while Benjamin Henrichs will feature at left-back. Amadou Haidara and Arthur Vermeeren will hold the central midfield positions, while Christoph Baumgartner and Antonio Nusa play wide roles. Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko are the best available forwards for Rose, as both are pencilled in for starts.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Lukeba, Klostermann, Orban, Henrichs; Baumbartner, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa; Openda, Sesko
Key Stats
- Inter Milan are unbeaten in their last 11 games across all competitions.
- Inter Milan are one of six teams yet to lose in this season’s Champions League.
- Inter Milan are one of the two teams yet to concede a goal in the Champions League.
- RB Leipzig are winless in their last four games across all competitions.
- RB Leipzig are one of the five teams in the Champions League without a win or a point in the UEFA Champions League.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
Sesko’s form has dropped off over the last few weeks, and he needs to pick up where he left off in this competition. His previous goals in the UEFA Champions League came against Juventus at home, and he has had a dry run since.
He still has three goals in four games to show for his cause, and Marco Rose will want the Slovenian to hit top form in the next games. As formidable a defence as Inter Milan has in this competition, Leipzig have the firepower in Sesko and Lois Openda to open them up. They still have the quality to hurt the reigning Italian champions on Tuesday evening.
Prediction
Inter Milan 2-1 RB Leipzig
Inter Milan do not seem like a team ready to lose momentum either domestically or in Europe, as Inzaghi will want to continue his tremendous run in the UEFA Champions League this season. Hence, there is no way of looking past an Inter Milan win, although this game might be where they concede their first goal in the competition.
Leipzig come into this one under tremendous pressure, or they risk dragging their heels into a difficult place where they will find it extremely hard to qualify within the top 24. Die Roten Bullen have probably had the most difficult fixtures in the Champions League this season, and they will continue to suffer the same outcome as another defeat beckons Marco Rose’s side.
