Inter vs Benfica: Preview and Prediction

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With the help of goals from Romelu Lukaku and Nicolò Barella, Inter managed to record a win in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final

Inter recorded a comfortable win over their quarter-final rivals, Benfica in the first leg. With the 2-0 win over the Portuguese giants, Simone Inzaghi’s side is in the driver’s seat for the semi-finals qualification in the UEFA Champions League and would be looking forward to finishing the job on Wednesday evening at the legendary San Siro Stadium in Milan.

In order to advance to the semi-finals, Roger Schmidt’s team has to make history by defeating Inter for the first time, and that too at San Siro. It seems like a difficult task for the Os Encarnados however, they still hold the calibre to pull a major upset on the European Stage.

Current Form

In the group stage, Inter ended in the 2nd spot behind Bayern Munich and above Barcelona. Hence, they were drawn in the Round of 16 against Porto. The Portuguese side gave Simone Inzaghi’s side a really tough time, however, Brahim Díaz’s goal eventually decided the fate of both sides.  

On the other hand, as a surprise to everyone, Benfica topped Group H irrespective of all the odds above Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. Hence, they found Club Brugge on the opposite side in the Round of 16. The Portuguese league leaders stunned the top Belgian side 7-1 aggregate. 

Coincidentally, before squaring off in the quarter-final, both teams had a really difficult time in their respective leagues. Nerazzurri was struggling to get a winning result despite playing with their full strength and was also constantly failing to secure a Champions League spot for the next season. 

While Benfica was leading the Primeira Liga comfortably, a series of consecutive losses had taken a major toll on Roger Schmidt’s team’s position. Also, when they faced Inter in the first leg, the spark that we earlier saw in the team was missing.

The first half was actually lethargic from both sides. However, Inter came close to breaking the deadlock a number of times in the first half but unfortunately, they eventually failed at all the attempts. From corners to set pieces, Inter as well as Benfica, both were struggling to capitalize on the opportunities. Hence, the first half ended 0-0. 

Later, with Nicolò Barella’s header on the cross made by Alessandro Bastoni from the left flank helped Inter put a leg forward. Moreover, Romelu Lukaku’s bullet left foot strike sealed the victory for Nerazzurri.

Inter broke their six-match winless streak against Benfica at Estadio da Luz, however, when they returned to league football, they got hammered into reality by Monza. Luca Caldirola’s 78th-minute goal became the ultimate difference between the two sides and cost the Nerazzurri three points. 

Likewise, Portuguese league leaders Benfica also had a similar weekend as they suffered a loss against Chaves, which marked their third consecutive defeat in the last three matches. Hence, it’s fair to say that Schmidt’s side has been utterly derailed lately. 

Head to Head Record

Inter have faced Benfica a total of four times in history, including their first leg fixture this year. Hence, after defeating Schmidt’s side in the UEFA Champions League last week, the Italian Giants have managed to remain unbeaten against Benfica. They have walked victorious three times in their total four meetings. 

Team News

Stefen de Vrij will miss Inter’s second-leg fixture against Benfica

Inter will be missing two of their main men in the defense as central defenders Stefan de Vrij and Milan Skriniar are under huge injury concerns. The Dutchman came off early in the second half with an ankle concern against Monza, which was a dismal loss for the Nerazzurri.

On the other hand, Skriniar’s back injury wouldn’t let him participate in the second leg against Benfica. Hakan Calhanoglu’s return to the team will be a piece of good news for the side however, he’s unlikely to get a spot in the playing XI because Inzaghi is more likely to go with Marcelo Brozovic. 

Inzaghi played the pair of Romelu Lukaku and Angel Correa in the front in order to rest Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez but they ended up on the losing side as Nerazzurri suffered a major upset. 

For Benfica, World Cup winner Nicolas Otamendi will make his return to the playing XI after a suspension. With his return, Morato is highly likely to be dropped out of the squad. However, Julian Draxler and Mihailo Ristic are set to miss the fixture due to muscle injuries. 

Defender Alexander Bah is another name who will return to the squad ahead of the second leg. Florentino also missed Benfica’s loss against Chaves, however, he’s most likely to return against Inter. 

Predicted Starting XIs

Inter (3-5-2): Samir Handanović, Francesco Acerbi, Danilo D’Ambrosio, Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcelo Brozović, Nicolò Barella, Matteo Darmian, Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko

Benfica (4-2-3-1): Odysseas Vlachodimos, Álex Grimaldo, Nicolás Otamendi, António Silva, Gilberto Moraes Júnior, Chiquinho, Florentino Luís, Fredrik Aursnes, João Mário, Rafa Silva, Gonçalo Ramos

Prediction

After Inter’s comfortable win over Benfica at Os Encarnados’ home stadium, it feels highly unlikely that the Portuguese Giants will be able to come back in the contest. In addition to that, they are also in a dismal form desperately searching for a win. 

Although Nerazzurri is also not in decent form as they have won only once in their last eight matches, the two-goal deficit seems huge at this juncture for Schmidt’s side but the 56-year old would be hoping that his side rediscovers top form after seeing a 10-point lead at the top of Liga Portugal points table get reduced to 4 points in the last ten days.

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