Inter and Porto will both be looking at their upcoming Champions League round of sixteen tie as a vital route to success this season as it looks increasingly unlikely that either will win their domestic league titles.
This is the view in today’s print edition of Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who note that both of the two teams are lagging behind in their domestic leagues which only heightens the importance of knockout football.
After another slip-up in yesterday evening’s goalless draw away to Sampdoria, Inter find themselves fifteen points behind high-flying Napoli in the Serie A table.
The gap is not this wide for Porto, but the current Portuguese champions will have a real task on their hands defending their title as they have a five-point gap to make up on Benfica who have been the form team in Portugal.
Accordingly, neither team are likely to take home a domestic league title unless they stage an improbable comeback.
In Europe, on the other hand, there is all to play for for both the Nerazzurri and for Porto, as the slate is wiped clean and both teams know that they are just a few results away from something special.