Inter will be hoping that they can set two important benchmarks when they face Sheriff Tiraspol this evening in the Champions League, namely getting two successive victories in Europe’s top competition and keeping a clean sheet.
This according to today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, who highlight the significance of momentum in the Champions League and defensive solidity to the Nerazzurri’s season.
Inter did not get off to a great start in this year’s edition of the Champions League group stage, taking only one point from their first two matches in the competition.
However, they gained a foothold in their group by defeating Sheriff at the San Siro, and building on this with three more points against the same opposition would set an important precedent.
The Nerazzurri have experienced heartbreak in the past three Champions League campaigns as they’ve failed to progress to the knockout rounds, and this season they will have to take their opportunity to show that they can find their best, and most consistent, performances in the competition.
Meanwhile, Simone Inzaghi have managed to keep two clean sheets in a row in 2-0 wins over Empoli and Udinese, having also not conceded from open play in their matches against Sheriff and Juventus beforehand.
The clash with Sheriff this evening presents an opportunity to prevent the opposition from scoring for a third successive match in all competitions, which would be an important milestones given the criticism that the team faced towards the beginning of the season for being too defensively open.
