Two European heavyweights tested one another in a high-stakes game in Group D of the UEFA Champions League.
Portuguese champions Benfica host Inter Milan for what promises to be an exciting clash at the Estadio da Luz. This fixture is a replay of last season’s quarterfinal clash, where they played out a cracking contest, with Inter winning by an aggregate scoreline of 5-3.
Both clubs will meet for the fifth time, with Inter dominating with three wins and a draw. However, Roger Schmidt’s side must be hoping for a response when the Nerazzurri come to Lisbon.
Benfica have lost only one out of eight matches in the Primeira Liga, and they sit a single point behind Sporting Lisbon. They kicked off their league title defence with a 3-2 defeat at Boavista, which ended with two red cards and as many goals in added time for the home side.
The Eagles finally grabbed their first win against Estrela Amadora via two late strikes, and everything picked up from then on.
Three more wins followed against Gil Vicente, Vitoria and Vizela to lead up to their opening game of the Champions League campaign. Benfica suffered a surprise home defeat to Red Bull Salzburg, playing majorly with ten men following Antonio Silva’s early red card.
Portimonense were beaten 3-1 to set them up perfectly for a crunch game against Porto, which they won via Angel Di Maria’s second-half strike. The second UCL game failed to bring any luck, with Inter Milan winning 1-0 at the San Siro.
Several chances went begging at Estoril Praia before Antonio Silva’s late diving header rewarded their efforts and sent them into the October international window in high spirits.
Nevertheless, they will be hurting from their European showings and are desperate to get their first win against Real Sociedad.
The Reds are currently rooted to the bottom of Group D, and despite showing flashes of their ability this season, they will be up against a stern test when Inter come to town.
The Italians have been a resurgent force this calendar year and have a formidable squad after finishing as runners-up in the Champions League last term.
Inter Milan started the 2023/24 season in impressive style, winning six of their eight games so far in Serie A, drawing one and losing another as they are two points behind league leaders and City rivals AC Milan.
Monza were their first victims this season, thanks to a brace from Lautaro Martinez, as Cagliari and Fiorentina were also dispatched without scoring a single goal. However, their most significant result of the league campaign came in the Milan derby when they won 5-1.
That spectacular result was not followed up in their opening UCL match as Real Sociedad almost got away with a fantastic victory until Martinez popped up with an 87th-minute equaliser. This point will look like a good result with time. Inter defeated Empoli and Salernitana 1-0 and 4-0, respectively, either side of their first Serie A defeat of the season at Sassuolo.
Matchday 2 of the UCL group stage brought their maiden win, with Marcus Thuram netting a brilliant second-half goal against Benfica to take them up to second.
Simone Inzaghi’s side are within touching distance of the top spot for which they are favourites; they will have to navigate the double-header against RB Salzburg with some more points before taking on Benfica again.
Given the experience at their disposal and the hunger of their new players, Inter will look to go one step further this season as they retain the UCL Dark Horses tag, which bode well for them last term.
For a positive outing against Benfica, they will be happy to soak up the pressure from the team and home crowd, who will be anxious to see their side win.
Match tickets
This match is scheduled for Wednesday, 29 November, with kick-off set for 8 PM UK time. There are multiple platforms to watch the game live on television, with Eleven and TVI broadcasting it in Portugal and Mediaset, Prime Video, and Sky Italia showing it in Italy.
If you want to experience the game live, SL Benfica vs Inter Milan tickets have been made available on each club’s website, but they will most likely be sold out, with over 64,000 fans expected in Lisbon. Supporters with a season ticket who can get one via official sources will be pleased to know that Inter Milan tickets can be purchased on a ticket resale website.
Team news
Roger Schmidt has little to no fresh injury concerns, with Angel Di Maria and Alexander Bah the only current absentees, but they will be back before the Inter game.
For Inzaghi’s side, Marko Arnautovic’s thigh injury could keep him out, while Stefano Sensi also has a similar problem.
Meanwhile, Juan Cuadrado and Davide Frattesi have knocks they should have recovered from.
Line-ups
Di Maria has significantly impacted since his return to Lisbon, with the Argentine scoring five goals for the Eagles. David Neres should also get a start on the opposite flank, as he has been a livewire presence for Benfica.
Elsewhere, Florentino Luis and Orkun Kokcu should continue their midfield partnership as Antonio Silva joins Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of the defence, flanked by Alexander Bah and David Jurasek.
Benfica: Trubin; Bah, Otamendi, Silva, Jurasek; Kokcu, Luis; Di Maria, Rafa, Neres; Musa
Inter will be depending on their trusted team again, including an attacking pairing of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, who have already been involved in 23 goals.
Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Prediction
Inter have not lost to Benfica in their last three meetings and will likely make it four, considering both teams’ differing fortunes in the competition.
The Nerazzurri have scored the most goals after the first eight Serie A matches (21) and conceded the least (five), meaning they will be tough to break down and equally dangerous on the attack. Indeed, Benfica have a lot of maturing to do to get a win here, or else they face an early exit from the Champions League.
Benfica 1-2 Inter Milan
