UEFA Champions League: Benfica vs Inter live
Preview
The quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League are upon us, as high-flying Benfica host out-of-sorts Inter Milan at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday at 7:00 pm (GMT). Benfica demolished Club Brugge in the first knockout round to reach the last eight for the second time in three seasons, while Inter defeated another Portuguese club, Porto, to reach the last eight for the first time in 12 years.
It has been an excellent Champions League campaign for Benfica this season, ending atop a group that included heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, with the latter departing the competition in the group stage. Roger Schmidt’s side are unbeaten in this year’s campaign, a feat they share with Manchester City and Bayern Munich, and their European form suggests they should fancy themselves in the Lisbon encounter.
However, the Benfica recently got beaten 2-1 by their title rivals Porto on Friday, which saw their lead at the top of the standings cut to seven points. It was their first league defeat since New Year’s Eve, and Schmidt hopes it was a one-time occurrence.
Inter’s 2023 has been unfulfilling for Simone Inzaghi’s squad, as indicated by their dismal results since the end of February. After a commendable 1-0 win against Porto in Europe, Bologna defeated them, starting a run of seven games in all competitions with only one victory. Goals have been a problem for Inzaghi’s side, with the Nerazzurri failing to score more than once in three of those seven games and failing to find the back of the net in four of them.
The 1-1 draw with Salernitana on Good Friday was almost absurd, with Romelu Lukaku missing an unmissable chance, Nicolo Barella hitting the post, and Guillermo Ochoa making a slew of saves to keep the home side in the game before Antonio Candreva’s lucky equaliser. Regardless, Inzaghi can take heart in the quality of opportunities generated on the day, even if they can’t afford any more off days in front of the goal against one of the finest sides in the Champions League this season.
Head-to-head
It’s been over two decades since these two teams last clashed. They were competing in the fourth round of the UEFA Cup at the time. Inter Milan won the second leg 4-3 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza to advance 4-3 on aggregate.
Prediction
Despite Inzaghi’s experience in cup tournaments, Benfica are too powerful, and their menacing attack could overwhelm an Inter side that has conceded in six of their previous eight games in all competitions.
