Champions League Clash Away To Red Bull Salzburg A “Huge Opportunity” For Inter Milan

This evening’s Champions League match against Red Bull Salzburg is nothing less than a “huge opportunity” for Inter Milan.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews.

The stars have seemingly aligned for Inter ahead of this evening’s trip to Austria to face Salzburg.

The Nerazzurri can seal qualification for the round of sixteen in the Champions League with a match to spare.

That would be one matchday earlier than they had done so in each of the past two seasons.

After a rocky start to their Champions League group stage campaign away to Real Sociedad, Inter have certainly gotten themselves back on track.

Back-to-back wins at the San Siro have ensured that.

And so if Inter take three points from this evening’s match away to Salzburg, they will have their spot in the knockouts.

Neither Salzburg nor Benfica would have any mathematical chance of catching the Nerazzurri on ten points.

Champions League Clash Vs Red Bull Salzburg A “Huge Opportunity” For Inter

As Tuttosport notes, this makes this evening’s match a big one for Inter on a number of levels.

Obviously, the chance to get their foot in the door early as far as the knockouts go is incentive in and of itself.

But it would also cast the next two matches against Benfica and La Real in a different light.

For one thing, the Nerazzurri would be able to play with the handbrake off.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi would have the luxury of changing up, rotating, and experimenting with his starting eleven.

The aim would be to put in statement performances against those two teams. But there would not be the pressure of potentially missing out on the round of sixteen in the event of slip-ups.

And then, there is the matter of what it would mean for the league.

Inter have the misfortune of facing back-to-back away matches against Serie A title rivals in the same timeframe as their last two group stage matches in the Champions League.

This has long cast the two weeks after the international break as being among Inter’s toughest all season.

But with a win over Salzburg this evening, that could all change.

Inter could take the pressure off and give themselves an opportunity to face the last two group stage matches with an almost leisurely mindset.

And then, all the real focus could be on away trips to Juventus and Napoli domestically.