FC Internazionale - Benfica predictions and free betting tips [03/10/2023]

On Tuesday, Inter Milan will be hosting Benfica as part of the second round of the Champions League group stage at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. 

Possible Line-ups

Inter Milan: Sommer, Acerbi, De Vrij, Pavard, Carlos Augusto, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella, Dumfries, Martinez, Thuram.

Benfica: Trubin, Eurnes, Morato, Otamendi, Ba, Kekchu, Neves, David Neres, Rafa Silva, Di Maria, Musa.

Inter Milan

Inter are currently leading the Serie A standings, and last round the Inzaghi’s men thrashed Salernitana 4-0. The coaching staff employs a 3-5-2 formation. In their Champions League opening match, they managed a draw away at Real Sociedad (1:1) - a satisfying result for an away fixture. Inzaghi's strategy heavily relies on the physical readiness of his team, with the Italians capable of maintaining a high pace for 90 minutes. Inter traditionally boasts a roster full of individually strong players, and reaching the Champions League final has motivated them even further. Arnautovic will not be available against Benfica due to injury. This means Inzaghi can't rotate his squad and Martinez and Thuram are the only options up top. Goalkeeper Sommer, who successfully integrated into the team, possesses commendable passing skills, which was well illustrated in the match against Salernitana – the fourth goal was scored after 55 accurate passes involving all 11 players.

Benfica

Benfica are battling for the championship title in Portugal, the team currently sits in the second place, having managed to edge out Porto over the weekend. The only goal of the match was scored by Argentine new-comer, Angel Di Maria. Head coach Roger Schmitt uses a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, the situation in the Champions League isn't as favourable - they lost their opener against Red Bull Salzburg 2-0. The team has been affected by the annual summer player sales which saw a portion of their leaders leave the club, and the newcomers are gradually fitting into the squad. The Portuguese are under pressure after their loss to the Austrians, potential loss of points in Milan may negatively impact their chances of making it to the playoffs. Benfica are currently struggling with scoring, finding it difficult to net the ball. The current form of the team is far from their performance last season.

Head-to-Head

These rivals have met five times, with Inter bagging 3 victories and Benfica failing to win a single time. They last clashed in last season's Champions League playoffs – Inter emerged victorious on the road 2:0, while they held a thrilling 3:3 draw in Milan.

Match Prediction: Inter Milan vs Benfica

Benfica has had disciplinary issues, and I expect a match with numerous fouls. Inter has players equipped to cause problems from set-pieces. The hosts will be the proactive side, so I would bet on their victory.