Inter Milan needs to be cautious of Benfica. Inter Milan needs one more win to advance to the semifinals of the Champions League. After the successful European campaigns of AC Milan and Inter Milan, the Milan derby may return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time in twenty years.
Following a tough 2-1 aggregate victory over Napoli, the Rossoneri have already secured their spot in the semifinals of the league and might now face their neighborhood rivals.
However, Inter Milan still needs to put in some work as they get ready to visit Benfica on Wednesday (April 19) for their quarterfinal second leg. The Nerazzurri are the favorites to go to the next round after their 2-0 victory over the Portuguese team in the first leg, but the match is far from finished.
Both clubs are struggling:
Before the first kick was made, Benfica had a commanding eight-game winning streak and was in first place in the Portuguese league, making them the clear favorites in this match.
They have, however, dropped their past three games in all competitions, including their unexpected home loss to Inter Milan in the first leg. The Nerazzurri haven’t been that outstanding lately either. They are currently in fifth place in Serie A and have only won twice in their past ten games overall.
Thus, the forthcoming Champions League matchup matches two seriously out-of-form teams against one another, creating a potentially challenging situation.
Benfica must be avoided, according to Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan:
Despite having a sizable lead after the first leg, Inter Milan must be cautious because the Portuguese team poses a threat.
Despite their recent struggles, Benfica has been one of the best teams in Europe this season and will give the Giuseppe Meazza everything they’ve got.
Add in the fact that Simone Inzaghi’s team lost at home to Monza on Saturday and has recently suffered defeats there from Juventus and Fiorentina, Therefore, Benfica has several good reasons to be positive.
“I have no idea what Benfica will do in terms of strategy. As stated by Sempre Inter, Inzaghi said prior to the game, “I can tell that it will be the second half of a very difficult and very crucial tie.
We’ll need to play the game without worrying about maintaining our two-goal lead from the first leg. It will be crucial to winning the midfield fight. Possession will be crucial as well; we must be adept at ball management and thoroughly cover every blade of grass on the pitch. They are particularly skilled at that.
Inter has the upper hand going into the second leg on Wednesday, but they must be cautious of a Benfica team that has already stunned PSG and Juventus in the Champions League this year.
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