Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi is expecting his side’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid this evening to be a very high quality encounter.
Speaking to Italian news outlet Sky Sport Italia ahead of the match yesterday, the 45-year-old emphasized that winning the fixture would be very important for his team and predicted a great match.
Inter and Real have both secured progression to the knockout rounds of the Champions League with a game to spare, but neither of the two sides will be treating this evening’s match as a dead rubber.
Top spot is still very much up for grabs, with Inter finishing first place in the group with a win while Real just need a draw.
Avoiding some of the top sides in the competition would be an advantage for either team going forward, while they also have pride and confidence to play for as they face off at the Bernabeu.
“It is and important match because it determines the group winner,” Inzaghi stated. “We will have to play our game in the best way, winning in Madrid is very difficult.”
“We progressed to the next round deservedly, and I expect to see a great match,” he added.
On the fact that the Merengues are missing Karim Benzema for the clash, the coach noted that “Inter are without Darmian, Correa, and Ranocchia. These are problems that affect everyone.”
Regarding striker Lautaro Martinez, he stated that the Argentine looked “Good in training [on Sunday]. I will evaluate him [yesterday] as with De Vrij and Kolarov.”
Of his brother Filippo, he stated that “I have no doubt that he will cheer for me, despite the respect he has for Ancelotti with whom he shared a lot of experiences.”
Of reports that the Nerazzurri could be ready to extend his contract soon, Inzaghi stated that “It’s nice to read and hear, but beyond that my attention is only on tomorrow’s match.”
“We have had an extraordinary journey in the Champions League group stage and we want to conclude it with a great match,” he concluded.
