Inter Milan vs Red Star Belgrade

Giuseppe Meazza is the venue as Inter Milan and Red Star Belgrade face off against each other in their first UEFA Champions League clash in over four decades.

Inter Milan fought stoically in their opening Champions League outing to hold perennial Premier League champions Manchester City to a respectable 0-0 draw in a repeat of the 2023 final. However, the hosts’ confidence took a massive hit afterward, with AC Milan ending Inter’s six-game winning H2H run with a 2-1 derby win at Meazza. Simone Inzaghi’s side bounced back with a dramatic 3-2 triumph at Udinese last weekend as standout performer Lautaro Martinez ended his goal drought with a match-winning brace. With renewed optimism, the reigning Serie A holders take on Red Star for the first time since 1981, looking to solidify their unbeaten H2H record (W1, D1). Building on that run with a shutout would see Inter commence a new Champions League season with back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since 2005.

On the other hand, Red Star’s European journey started with a 3-2 aggregate win against Bodo/Glimt in Champions League qualifying. Their second consecutive appearance in the competition proper was off to a false start. Benfica pulled off a 2-1 win in Belgrade on matchday one, condemning Dejan Milojevic’s side to only their second defeat in 12 competitive games this season (W9, D1). But since both those losses came in this competition, Red Star’s long-standing woes against Italian opposition look set to continue. The ‘Red-Whites’ have only won three of their previous 27 European clashes against Serie A clubs (D10, L14), though four of those last five meetings have ended all square, offering them some hope ahead of this daunting task.