Inter Milan vs Liverpool

Inter Milan are set to entertain Liverpool at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the first leg of their mouth-watering UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.

After three consecutive failed attempts to make it out of the Champions League group stages, Inter Milan ensured a runner-up finish in Group D to reach their first competition’s knock-outs since 2011/12. Familiar foes are waiting in the wings as ‘I Nerazzurri’ seek revenge following an underwhelming 3-0 aggregate defeat to Liverpool in their 2007/08 Champions League last-16 tie. The reigning Serie A champions will have to defy their negative knock-out record against Premier League sides under the current Champions League format to achieve that, having lost two of their three such ties since its introduction in 2003/04. Encouragingly, though, Simone Inzaghi’s men have won their last two Champions League home matches, one more than they had amassed in their previous nine such fixtures between November 2018 and September 2021 (D5, L3).

On the other hand, Liverpool took their Champions League Group B by storm, winning all six matches by an aggregate score of 17-6 to reach the competition’s knock-out stages for the fifth season running. They have failed to make it to the Champions League quarter-finals only once in their previous four attempts. Moreover, the ‘Reds’ have won their last two Champions League visits to Italian sides, only one victory fewer than they managed in their first 14 European travels to the country (W3, D3, L8). Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who has tallied 49 wins from his 87 Champions League games as a manager, is only one triumph away from becoming only the eighth coach to smash a 50-win barrier. After beating AC Milan in both group stage meetings earlier this season, Liverpool could become the second team after Tottenham to defeat both Milan clubs in the same European Cup/Champions League season.