Inter’s formidable form since the back-end of 2021, coupled with Liverpool’s sensational scoring prowess on the road, makes this a tantalising Champions League knockout battle.
📝 Match preview
Inter has hit a minor blip in their Serie A title defence of late, losing to Milan in the Derby della Madonnina and then having to settle for a 1-1 draw against Napoli. Still, they’re a formidable outfit at the San Siro and have lost just twice in their last 23 matches across all competitions and at all venues.
As far as Jürgen Klopp’s visitors go, they ground out a 0-1 win in the rain at Burnley on Sunday, a result that keeps their interest in the Premier League title race very much alive. Liverpool has already won in the San Siro this season against Milan, so they’ll travel high on confidence to face their city-rivals Inter.
🗞 Team news
🔵 Inter
Hirving Lozano, Axel Tuanzebe, Joaquin Correa, Robin Gosens and Matias Vecino are all out or rated major as doubts through injury. Key midfield dynamo Nicolò Barella is suspended, but Simone Inzaghi can welcome Alessandro Bastoni back in defence after his domestic suspension. Alexis Sánchez could be in line for a surprise start at the expense of Lautaro Martínez in attack, but we’ll have to see about that.
🔴 Liverpool
Sadio Mané returned to the starting XI at Turf Moor on Sunday. As such, Liverpool has no injury or suspension concerns ahead of this one. Thiago should return to their starting XI, considering his vast experience in the competition and ability to dictate the tempo on big European nights.
🔮 Likely XIs
🔵 Inter (3-5-2):
Handanović; Škriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Vidal, Brozović, Çalhanoğlu, Perisić; Martínez, Džeko
🔴 Liverpool (4-3-3):
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Mané
🌱 Evergreen Edin
Just two days before his 36th birthday, Bosnian veteran Edin Džeko will line up for Inter against Liverpool in what will be his 62nd appearance in the Champions League, a competition in which he’s scored 25 career goals. After representing Wolfsburg, Man City and Roma with distinction, the latest stop on Džeko’s goal-scoring journey is with Italy’s most recent Scudetto winners.
Džeko’s legacy is secured as one of the finest strikers of his generation. At Roma, he became the first player in history to score 50+ goals in three of Europe’s top five leagues with a half-century of Serie A strikes for the capital club. All told he bagged 119 goals for them in all competitions. This season he’s got 14 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions for the Nerazzurri.
⚡️ Sizzling Salah
Fresh off AFCON 2021 final disappointment with Egypt, Mo Salah will be keen to get back on the goal trail in Europe.
The Liverpool superstar has 23 goals & nine assists from 28 appearances across the Premier League and Champions League this season. It’s an astonishing return but something we have simply come to expect from a player of his rich calibre.
🔑 Key bettng stats
- Edin Džeko has scored in each of his last three meetings with Liverpool.
- The Reds have only lost once across the 29 UCL matches in which Mohamed Salah has found the net for them (W26, D2).
- Key Inter midfield dynamo Nicolò Barella is suspended after his red card on matchday 6 of the group stage.
- Liverpool has scored 2+ goals in 19 of their last 22 competitive away matches.
