At 03:00 a.m. Beijing time on October 4, the second round of Group D of the Champions League group stage will play an interesting and focused battle, with Serie A Nerazzurri Inter Milan hosting Portuguese Premier League giants Benfica.
After entering the new season, Inter Milan are in good form, with 6 wins and 1 defeat and 18 points in the first seven rounds of Serie A, and are currently at the top of the Serie A table with goal difference over arch-rivals AC Milan. On the Champions League field, Inter Milan faced La Liga powerhouse Real Sociedad in the first round, and they drew 1-1 away from home, although they failed to win the opener, but it was not too bad. In this round of the Champions League against Portuguese Premier League giants Benfica, Inter Milan must win, otherwise, the road to qualification will become difficult to control.
In the history of European competition, Inter Milan has encountered Benfica four times, including two Europa Leagues; Two Champions Leagues. Inter Milan have a record of 2 wins and 2 draws, and have not tasted defeat. In other words, against Benfica, Inter Milan has a relatively obvious psychological advantage. If Inter Milan can play a normal game in this round, the probability of winning Benfica is still relatively large. Here's a quick look at Inzaghi's likely starting line-up.
In the goalkeeper position, it is no surprise that the main goalkeeper Swiss Sommer will continue to guard the Inter goal; At the back, Inzaghi always likes to use a three-centre-back formation, and this one should be no exception, and the three defenders who get the starting line-up should be Bastoni, Archerby and Pavard. De Vry is on standby.
In terms of midfield, there is no doubt that the main backer responsible for intercepting tackles in the Inter Milan midfield will be Serie A popular international Barrera; The one who partners Barrera to form a double back combination should be Mkhitaryan; On the side of the double back, the attacking commander who sits in the front court should be the ace midfielder, Turkish star Çalhanoğlu wearing the number 20 shirt. On both wings of the midfield, Carlos Augusto and Dumfries are expected to play both offensive and defensive ends with one left and one right, attacking and retreating, playing an important role in switching between attack and defense.
On the forward line, it is natural that the dominant striker Argentine Lautaro Martinez is responsible for charging up front; The striker who will partner Lautaro Martinez should be Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez. Thuram Jr. is on standby.
To sum up, the final expected starting 11 for Inter Milan against Benfica are: Sommer; Bastoni, Archerby, Pavard; Carlos Augusto, Mkhitaryan, Çalhanoğlu, Barrera, Dumfries; Lautaro Martinez, Alexis Sanchez