The initial four first legs of the Champions League round of sixteen will be played this week. Here, the clash between Inter Milan and Liverpool will take place on Wednesday at 21.00. Thus, the second-placed teams in the Italian Serie A and the English Premier League will meet. The Pole Szymon Marciniak will be in charge of the match at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Inter Milan finished second in Group D behind Real Madrid. Therefore, Simone Inzaghi’s team entered the knockout phase of the Champions League for the first time in ten years. For the Nerazzurri, however, the first leg against the Reds comes at a particularly inopportune time. In February, the home side experienced so far a 1-2 home defeat against AC Milan and a 1-1 at Napoli.
On top of that, AC Milan finished bottom of Group B, in which Liverpool won all their games. Thus, Inter Milan’s city rivals had to admit defeat both away and at home. Additionally, Jürgen Klopp’s team won all of their last four championship matches. Before that, the last loss of points so far happened on 2 January with a 2-2 at Chelsea.
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What speaks for Inter Milan?
- Home advantage
- No player took part in the Africa Cup
- Last competed in a Champions League knockout stage ten years ago, so on balance they have less to lose
What speaks for Liverpool?
- Won all group stage matches, including two against AC Milan
- Last dropped points in early January with a 2-2 at Chelsea
- The participants in the Africa Cup final were already back in the starting line-up against Burnley
- Has clearly more experience in the knockout stages of the Champions League
Our betting tip:
- Tip: Both teams score goals – Yes
- Bookmaker: 1xBet
- Odds: 1.64
Expert analysis Inter Milan
For the hosts in the first leg Inter Milan vs Liverpool, this fixture comes four days after a 1-1 at Napoli. There, Simone Inzaghi’s side fell behind in the seventh minute. Edin Dzeko then equalized immediately after the break. However, that did not change the fact that the Nerazzurri won only one of their last four Serie A appearances.
The 2-1 home victory over third-bottom Venezia came between a 0-0 at fifth-placed Atalanta and a 1-2 loss at AC Milan in the derby on 5 February. A week later, the city rivals lifted themselves to the top of the table thanks to a draw between their title rivals and a 1-0 home success against Sampdoria.
The record of Inter Milan, in whose last three league games so far both teams netted, is even less impressive in the group stage against Real Madrid. The Blancos won both away and at home. In contrast, Inzaghi’s team won twice 3-1 against third-placed Sheriff Tiraspol.
As things stand today, the home side will be without four players for the Champions League round of sixteen first leg Inter Milan vs. Liverpool. The centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, the left midfielder Robin Gosens and the attacker Joaquín Correa are injured. Additionally, left-back Aleksandar Kolarov is ineligible to play in this tournament.
Expert analysis Liverpool
Unlike their opponents in the Champions League round of sixteen, Liverpool are still unbeaten in the championship this year. On top of that, Jürgen Klopp’s team after a 2-2 at Chelsea on 2 January threaded four victories so far. In the process, the Reds exclusively faced teams from the second half of the table, but various key players took part in the Africa Cup.
By this we mean primarily the offensive stars Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah, who faced each other in the final on 6 February. Finally, Mané’s Senegal prevailed over Salah’s Egypt. A week later, both players were in the starting eleven for the 1-0 away win against last-placed Burnley. Defensive midfielder Fabinho scored the winning goal in the 40th minute. Before that, they celebrated at home a 3-0 win over 14th-placed Brentford as well as a 2-0 win over eleventh-placed Leicester City, with a 3-1 win at 13th-placed Crystal Palace in between.
Furthermore, goals from both teams came for example in all three of Liverpool’s away games in Group B of the Champions League. After a 3-2 home win over AC Milan, there were first a 5-1 at Porto and a 3-2 at Atlético Madrid. Then the icing on the cake came with a 2-1 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. As things stand, Klopp will have to do exclusively without injured striker Divock Origi for the first leg of the Inter Milan vs Liverpool tie.
Head-to-head comparison Inter Milan – Liverpool
After the turn of the century, Inter Milan and Liverpool have so far only met in the 2007/2008 Champions League. On that occasion, the Reds first played in front of their own crowd and won 2-0. They then followed that up with a 1-0 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Our betting tip and the best odds
Given their record in the Champions League group stage and in the respective championships, ahead of the Inter Milan vs Liverpool match a lot speaks for a victory for the guests. However, especially at home, the Nerazzurri are a tough nut to crack. Therefore, we think betting on the fact that both teams will score makes more sense.
In all of Inter Milan’s last championship games so far, both teams netted. This was the case against third last Venezia as well as against title rivals AC Milan and Napoli.
Furthermore, in Liverpool’s last Premier League appearance so far against a rival on a par, Chelsea, they drew 2-2. Furthermore, in all three away games in the Champions League group stage, both teams scored. And the same applied to the Reds’ home match against AC Milan.
Inter Milan vs. Liverpool – betting tip: Both teams score goals – Yes, odds 1.64 at bookmaker 1xBet
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