Inter Milan and RB Leipzig will meet at San Siro on Tuesday evening, having had very different starts to their Champions League campaigns.
Inter Milan have been impressive, remaining unbeaten and comfortably sitting in the top eight. On the other hand, RB Leipzig are struggling, having failed to pick up a single point in the group stage so far.
Inter Milan began their Champions League journey with a tough 0-0 draw against Manchester City, the team that defeated them in last year’s final. They’ve since secured wins over Red Star Belgrade, Arsenal, and Young Boys, with the latter victory coming away in Switzerland.
So far, Inter haven’t conceded a single goal in the competition this season, and another clean sheet on Tuesday would equal Manchester United’s record of five consecutive shutouts in 2010.
Inter’s defense has been rock-solid under coach Simone Inzaghi, with Hakan Calhanoglu's penalty against Arsenal being the only goal in their most recent match. The team is unbeaten in their last 11 home Champions League games, winning nine and keeping clean sheets in all of them.
Inter’s excellent form has helped them reach the knockout rounds in each of the past three seasons, and they currently sit in fourth place in this season's group stage.
Domestically, Inter has shown consistency as well. A 5-0 win over Hellas Verona last Saturday, highlighted by a brace from Marcus Thuram, was just the latest in a strong run, with Inter having conceded just one goal in their last five matches. With only one loss in their last 16 games this season, against AC Milan in September, Inter are in great shape as they prepare to face Leipzig for the first time.
RB Leipzig, meanwhile, are in a much tougher spot. They are heading into their first Champions League match on Italian soil, but they’ve previously beaten both Napoli and Atalanta in the Europa League, so they won’t be intimidated by a trip to Milan.
However, their position in the group is precarious, having lost all four of their games so far. A fifth consecutive defeat would be disastrous for their hopes of advancing.
Leipzig have struggled to maintain leads in several matches, including losses to Atletico Madrid, Juventus, and Celtic, despite having scored first in all three. They’ve also had issues domestically, losing two of their last three Bundesliga games, including a dramatic 4-3 loss to Hoffenheim, in which they led three times. Despite these setbacks, Leipzig are third in the Bundesliga and will look to embrace their underdog status as they face a formidable Inter side at San Siro.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martinez may not be fully fit to start alongside Marcus Thuram on Tuesday after returning late from international duty with Argentina and then falling ill. This opens the door for Mehdi Taremi, Marko Arnautovic, and Joaquin Correa—who scored in a rare start last weekend—to compete for places in the attack.
In midfield, Hakan Calhanoglu is a doubt after suffering a thigh injury with Turkey, which kept him out of Saturday’s win. Kristjan Asllani is on standby to fill in if needed. At the back, Francesco Acerbi picked up an early injury in Verona and could miss out, too.
If Acerbi doesn’t recover in time, either Benjamin Pavard or Stefan de Vrij could step in to complete the backline, in front of Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who has been perfect in the Champions League so far, saving all 14 shots on target he's faced.
For Leipzig, Eljif Elmas and Yussuf Poulsen are both sidelined due to injuries picked up while on international duty, while El Chadaille Bitshiabu is also recovering from a recent training injury.
Xavi Simons and David Raum have been dealing with ankle problems, but Christoph Baumgartner has filled in for Simons and will help support Leipzig's attacking pair of Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko.
Sesko, Leipzig’s top scorer in the Champions League this season with three goals, will lead the attack, while Antonio Nusa is also in fine form. Nusa scored three goals in two UEFA Nations League matches for Norway earlier this month and added another goal over the weekend.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Taremi
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Klostermann, Orban, Lukeba; Henrichs, Haidara, Seiwald, Nusa; Baumgartner; Openda, Sesko
EXPERT PREDICTION
Inter Milan 1-0 RB Leipzig
Despite Inter's solid defense, Leipzig's pace and clinical finishing could pose a serious challenge, making it tough for the hosts to keep them out for the full 90 minutes. However, the Nerazzurri have the quality and know-how to secure another three points, as they are equally capable of being ruthless in attack.
