Inter Milan vs Liverpool
The Champions League returns this week and there’s a potential blockbuster at the San Siro.
The Italian champions, Inter Milan, host one of English football’s heavyweights, Liverpool, with the winners over two legs likely to be one of the favourites to go all the way in the competition.
One team has been weakened considerably compared to last season, the other significantly strengthened to the point where their manager says he has the best squad he has ever had.
Yet with so many potential matchwinners in both ranks, we can realistically expect some Champions League highlights.
Talking Points
Inter warmed up with a draw at Napoli in the top of the table clash in Serie A at the weekend – a division which is at the heart of the most exciting title race in Europe with just two points separating the top three.
This first leg continues a busy period for I Nerazzurri who lost the Milan derby last weekend but then bounced back to knock Roma out of the Coppa Italia.
All this from a team which lost its manager and a number of its top players last summer and which this SBOTOP writer thought would be adrift of the title race.
Liverpool are currently flying, second in the Premier League and on an unbeaten run which stretches back to December 28 – despite being without the duo of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for much of the past month due to the African Cup of Nations.
The team news certainly favours the visitors whose manager, Jurgen Klopp, has a full pool to select from – a squad he said last week is the ‘strongest’ he has ever had during his career.
For Inter, competing in the last 16 of Europe’s premier competition for the first time in a decade, they have had the boost of hearing Alessandro Bastoni will likely be available.
The Italian international trained today ahead of the clash, less than a week after leaving the fray with an ankle injury during Inter’s 2-0 win over Roma in the Coppa Italia.
He missed the Serie A draw with Napoli as a result but was suspended anyway and his return could see Stefan de Vrij named on the bench.
Someone who is suspended for both legs of this tie, though, is his team-mate Nicolò Barella`.
For so long Italian teams were the leading sides in Europe but, in recent years, the big money has been in England, as seen most noticeably when Chelsea put four past Juventus without reply earlier in the competition.
The task facing Inter coach Simone Inzaghi is a big one but the Italian has impressed since replacing Antonio Conte last summer and, if his side fares well over two legs, his stock will rise further across Europe.
History
The sides have met four times in history and Liverpool have won three of those games.
Yet the main encounter was an Inter success.
That was in the second leg of their European Cup semi-final in 1965.
After Liverpool won the first leg 3-1 at Anfield with goals from Roger Hunt, Ian Callaghan and Ian St John, Inter turned the tables with a 3-0 victory in the San Siro to progress to the final 4-3 on aggregate. They then won the trophy against Benfica.
Fast forward to more recent times and the sides met in the Champions League last 16 tie in 2008.
Then late goals from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool a 2-0 home win which they added to in the second leg through Fernando Torres to seal a 3-0 aggregate success.
Betting Tip
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 | Inter Milan vs Liverpool | Liverpool Asian Handicap -0.50 @ 2.17 |
| February 17, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
Liverpool are the firm favourites with the Champions League betting odds.
The Merseysiders are priced 1X2 @ 2.17 and Asian Handicap -0.50 @ 2.17.
The odds on Inter are longer with the Italian champions available to back 1X2 @ 3.25 and Asian Handicap +0.25 @ 2.08.
The draw is on offer @ 3.35.
After the ‘away goals’ rule was abolished, chances are this will be a more open encounter than it might otherwise have been.
That is reflected in the varying odds for goals including over 2.75 goals @ 1.95, total goal 0-1 @ 4.00, 2-3 @ 1.95 and 4-6 @ 3.00. I did consider Half Time Full Time Draw @ 5.00 but I just think Liverpool will be too strong for Inter who lost too much talent last summer to compete for this trophy.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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