The 2021 – 2022 Champions League has been quite challenging for Italian football and only two of its great teams are left in the race: Inter and Juventus.
The other two competitors, Milan and Atalanta, did not survive the Group Stage and will need to focus their attention on Serie A.
In the case of Juventus it’s hard to be optimistic because their performance in the local championship has been full of challenges and without Cristiano Ronaldo, the team will likely struggle in the Playoffs as well.
But Inter does have a decent chance of reaching at least the Semifinals, if not the Final of the competition. If you would like to bet on its matches, you can do so on sports betting sites like Rivalry.
Inter’s Strengths And Previous Performance In The Champions League
Right now, Inter is the strongest team in Serie A, having a record of 14 wins, 4 draws, and just 1 loss in the first 19 matches.
For the Italian league, which is full of excellent teams, that’s a great run. Furthermore, Inter is on a winning streak. Its last 5 matches ended with positive, and in some cases exceptional scores.
In the case of Cagliari and Salernitana, the 4 – 0 and 5 – 0 victories may not be that relevant, because these competitors are currently 19th and 20th in the league. But the 3 – 0 success against AS Roma, a team managed by Jose Mourinho, is definitely a sign of strength.
Inter’s Run In The Group Stage Of Champions League
In the Champions League, Inter had to play in Group D, against Real Madrid, Sheriff Tiraspol, and Shakhtar Donetsk.
It finished 2nd, with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 defeats. The draw came against Shakhtar while the defeats came against Real Madrid.
However, these defeats were not very decisive: 2 – 0 in the away match and 0 – 1 at home. In particular, the 89-minute goal from the home match was rather unfortunate and could have been avoided.
Previous Season
In 2020 – 2021, Inter had an almost identical group, with Shakhtar and Real Madrid. Unfortunately, it didn’t qualify for the Playoffs and finished 4th with 8 points, while Real won the group with just 10!
This season, things went much better and that is an encouraging sign.
Inter’s Strongest Players
Right now, Inter has a lot of highly skilled young players that provide a formidable defense, as well as a dangerous offense.
The Argentinian Lautaro Martinez is currently worth 80 million Euros and is eager to score his first Champions League goal this season.
Other players, such as Barella, Skriniar, Bastoni, and de Vrij, provide the team with a solid backline that’s very hard to overwhelm. In Serie A, Inter scored 49 goals and conceded just 15 in 19 matches.
Inter’s Road To The Champions League Title
Inter hasn’t won the Champions League since 2009 – 2010. That year, it won the Italian treble under the leadership of Jose Mourinho. Arguably, this was Inter’s best season in its entire history.
In 2021 – 2022, Inter seems to be on its way to winning both Serie A as well as the Italian Cup. But the biggest challenge will be to win the Champions League.
Simone Inzaghi will need to come up with a strategy that can yield positive results against the likes of Liverpool and PSG, because those are the competitors his team will need to defeat on its way to the Final.
The Match Against Liverpool
Inter’s first match in the Playoffs of the Champions League will be against Liverpool. The English side has had a great run during the first half of the season, getting 12 wins, 5 draws, and just 1 defeat.
Right now, Liverpool are 2nd in the Premier League with 41 points, just 6 points behind Manchester City with a game in hand.
Liverpool’s manager is the legendary Jurgen Klopp and his lineup is full of formidable players. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Fabinho are just several of them.
In the Group Stage, the team played in Group B and finished with 6 consecutive wins. Their rivals were Atletico Madrid, FC Porto, and AC Milan.
Inter’s best strategy against Liverpool seems to be to aim for an advantageous double draw. The English side is very hard to beat but draws are achievable if the defense holds strong and the offense gets one or two clear chances to score.
