Inter Milan vs Benfica verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
- Seb Sternik
- 18 April 2023
Inter Milan’s Serie A campaign may be in tatters, but the Italian side will be looking to clinch their first Champions League semi-final place since 2010 when they welcome Benfica to San Siro.
The Italians are in fifth place in Serie A, having lost four of their last five in the league, but go into the Champions League clash against Benfica with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Champions League quarter-final second leg, Wednesday, April 19, Kick-off 8.00pm, BT 2
Predicted score
Suggested bets
Both teams to score
Over 2.5 goals
Correct score - Inter 2-1 Benfica
Key stats
Benfica won 37 of 45 games before their current three-match losing run.
Inter have lost just one of four home Champions League games this season.
Inter have won just two of their last 10 games.
Team news
Inter Milan are without Dalbert and Milan Skriniar for the second leg. Stefan de Vrij remains a doubt and will be assessed ahead of the match.
Benfica also have a couple of absentees for their trip to Milan as Alexander Bah and Julian Draxler remain on the sidelines with injuries. Mihailo Ristic has a muscle injury and could also miss out.
Verdict
Looking at Inter Milan's recent form, it's hard to believe this is a team that could potentially progress to a Champions League semi-final.
Simone Inzaghi's men have endured a horrendous run of form over the last two months, winning just two of their last 10 outings.
During this time, Inter have lost five games in Serie A and are now in serious risk of missing out on a top four finish.
Despite this, when it came to their first leg Champions League quarter-final clash away in Benfica, the Italian outfit produced a solid display.
Second-half goals from Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku put Inter in control of the tie ahead of the rematch at San Siro.
Inter have lost all of their last three games at home - all by a 1-0 scoreline. However, their home form in Europe has been noteworthy, with Bayern Munich being the only ones to score a goal against them.
Benfica, on the other hand, have hit a poor run of form at the worst possible time.
The Eagles were enjoying an incredible campaign as they powered to 37 victories from 45 games across all competitions, suffering just one defeat in the process.
However, as the month of April rolled into view, Roger Schmidt's side have collapsed.
A 2-1 defeat against title rivals FC Porto was followed by their 2-0 home loss against Inter Milan. Benfica failed to return to winning ways at the weekend as they suffered their third straight loss at the hands of Chaves.
The Portuguese outfit will require a perfect performance away at Milan in order to progress and considering their current form, this is unlikely to happen.
With Inter holding a two-goal advantage, expect the Italian side to play on the counter as they look to punish their rivals and seal their spot in the semi-finals.
Benfica will need to take risks and that means we could be in for a goal-fest. Our tip is to back both teams to score, although we also like the look of over 2.5 goals.
