After a 2-0 victory in the first leg, Inter are just 90 minutes away from a Champions League semi-final. The Black and Blues are set to host Benfica in the San Siro for the second leg of this eventful tie. To restore their Champions League hopes, Benfica must win by at least two goals to see themselves in with a chance of progressing to the next round.
This tie comes as a distraction from Inter’s poor league form, as they are yet to win a game in the last month. Their winless run continued on the weekend as Inzaghi and his men were defeated 1-0 at the weekend to a weak Monza side. However, a travelling Benfica also suffered from a loss to Chaves in Liga Portugal after a 94th minute winner from Abass.
Going into this game, the 3x winners, Inter, have only conceded 7 goals in the competition – keeping 6 clean sheets along the way. However, Benfica are a real goal threat and deserved to have scored in front of their fans last week. With 17 goals in the league this season, a young Gonçalo Ramos will look to end his goal drought and become Benfica’s hero in Milan.
Team News
During their 1-0 loss to Monza, Inter lost their starting CB when De Vrij was forced off due to an ankle injury just after half-time. The Dutchman endured training alone recently, as he was deemed unfit to take part in first-team training with the squad. De Vrij has not been favoured by Inzaghi this season so, like in other crucial games, Acerbi will return to the side – as he was expected to if De Vrij remained fit.
Defensive partner Skriniar will also be sidelined from this tie after a back problem he sustained last month. In midfield, Çalhanoğlu will return for the second-leg after he was subbed on by Inzaghi in their defeat to Monza. The Turkish international picked up a tear in his adductor muscle on international duty but he is now available for selection in this clash.
For the visitors, Benfica have no new injuries since the first leg. The World Cup winner, Otamendi, returns to the Eagles backline in a bid to stop the goal threat of Džeko and Lautaro Martínez. However, Benfica’s backline is not injury free, as Bah still recovers from his knee injury he acquired on Derby Day. Moving up the pitch, Draxler is also unavailable after having ankle surgery, forcing him out until the end of May.
Predicted Lineups
Inter Milan: Onana; Acerbi; Bastoni; Darmian; Dimarco; Çalhanoğlu; Mkhitaryan; Barella; Dumfries; Martínez; Džeko
Benfica: Vlachodimos; Grimaldo; Otamendi; Silva; Gilberto; Chiquinho; Luís; Aursnes; Silva; Mário; Ramos
Where Can I Watch?
The second-leg of this tie kicks-off at 20:00PM UK time on Wednesday 19 April 2023. The game will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2, with coverage from 19:15PM.
