Feyenoord and Inter Milan will aim to get closer to a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals when they face off in the round of 16 at De Kuip on Wednesday.
The first leg matches of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 will end on Wednesday, which will feature four games. The action on the day will start with Feyenoord vs Inter Milan at De Kuip, with both teams eager to get closer to a spot in the quarter-finals.
Feyenoord had to take the scenic route to qualify for the UEFA Champions League round of 16. The Eredivisie giants won only half of their eight games in the opening phase to set up a playoff tie with AC Milan. While the Dutch outfit nearly beat the Rossoneri, the victory at home was enough to reach the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, the hosts are on a six-match unbeaten streak since bowing out of the KNVB Cup quarter-finals against PSV Eindhoven. The run of results has helped Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, and a top-three finish is possible. On the other hand, Inter Milan secured automatic qualification to the round of 16.
The Nerazzurri finished fourth in the Champions League standings after losing only one game in the opening phase and conceding just one goal. Meanwhile, Simone Inzaghi’s men have jumped to the top of the Serie A standings, although they have won only two of their last four league matches.
The only two clashes between Feyenoord and Inter Milan came in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup semi-finals, with the Eredivisie giants clinching a 3-2 aggregate win. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Feyenoord
Robin van Persie has a plethora of roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Feyenoord manager will be bereft of the services of as many as a dozen players vs Inter Milan on Wednesday.
Givairo Read will serve a suspension and miss Wednesday’s game. The 18-year-old Dutch prodigy will accompany Justin Bijlow (knee), Facundo Gonzalez (back), Hwang In-beom (knock), Antoni Milambo (unspecified), Jakub Moder (unspecified), Bart Nieuwkoop (leg), Calvin Stengs (ankle), Quinten Timber (knee), Gernot Trauner (unspecified), Ayase Ueda (thigh), and Ramiz Zerrouki (leg) on the sidelines.
Timon Wellenreuther will take his spot between the sticks in Bijlow’s absence, with Feyenoord lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Inter Milan on Wednesday. The backline should feature Jeyland Mitchell, Thomas Beelen, David Hancko, and Hugo Bueno.
As for the midfield unit, the injury crisis will force Anis Hadj Moussa to take a place in the middle of the park, accompanying Luka Ivanusec and Gijs Smal in the central areas. Finally, Julian Carranza will lead the line for Feyenoord against Inter Milan, with Igor Paixao and Ibrahim Osman being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Wellenreuther; Mitchell, Beelen, Hancko, Bueno; Hadj Moussa, Ivanusec, Smal; Osman, Carranza, Paixao
Inter Milan
Like his counterpart in the Feyenoord dugout, Simone Inzaghi has many issues to worry about ahead of the trip to De Kuip. The Inter Milan manager might be without as many as six first-team players on Wednesday.
The wing-back positions are in a crisis, with Carlos Augusto (calf), Matteo Darmian (thigh), Federico Dimarco (thigh), and Nicola Zalewski (calf) on the sidelines. In addition, Yann Sommer is recovering from a thumb. Meanwhile, Inzaghi is sweating over Hakan Calhanoglu’s fitness.
Josep Martinez will deputise for Sommer between the sticks, with Inter Milan lining up in a 3-5-2 formation in front of him vs Feyenoord on Wednesday. The central defensive unit should feature Yann Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni. Benjamin Pavard and Denzel Dumfries will likely reprise makeshift roles.
While Pavard will start on the left flank, Dumfries will play as a left wing-back. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the middle of the park. Finally, Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram will be the two strikers for the away side.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Josep Martinez; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Pavard, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dumfries; Lautaro Martinez, Thuram
Key Stats
- Wednesday’s clash will be only the third meeting between Feyenoord and Inter Milan in major European competition, with the Dutch side winning 3-2 on aggregate in the UEFA Cup semi-final tie during the 2001/02 season.
- Feyenoord have lost only one of their 12 home games in European competition against Italian sides (W7 D4), with the exception coming in a 2-1 defeat to Roma during the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League.
- Inter Milan are unbeaten across their last 11 games against Dutch clubs in European competition (W7 D4) since a 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord in April 2002. The Serie A giants have only lost three of their 23 most recent matches in the UEFA Champions League (W14 D6), and they have only conceded more than one goal on three occasions in this run (12 conceded in 23 games overall).
- Feyenoord have converted 13 of their 19 big chances in the UEFA Champions League this season, with their conversion rate (68%) the highest of any side in the competition in 2024/25. On the other hand, Inter Milan have only scored 25 per cent of their big chances (7/28); the lowest conversion rate of any side remaining in the current edition.
- Lautaro Martínez can become Inter Milan’s all-time top scorer in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, with the Argentine international currently level with Sandro Mazzola on 17 goals.
Player to Watch
Igor Paixao
While Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Igor Paixao as our Player to Watch. The Brazilian international has been exceptional for Feyenoord this season, and he was instrumental in helping Feyenoord qualify for the round of 16.
In addition, the youngster’s exploits have piqued the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe. However, the 24-year-old will be focused on the task at hand, aiming to help Feyenoord beat Inter Milan and kick another Serie A club out of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League. Expect another bright performance from the South American winger this week.
Prediction
Feyenoord 0-1 Inter Milan
Breaching the Inter Milan wall in the UEFA Champions League has been a near-impossible task, with the Nerazzurri conceding only one goal thus far in the competition. While Feyenoord will take the game to the away side, getting past Josep Martinez will be a tall order.
Meanwhile, Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez should rise to the occasion again and deliver the goods for the away side. Expect another solid Inter Milan showing, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for Simone Inzaghi and his charges.
