Champions League: Does Milan Misery Await Slot’s Reds?

Inter Milan vs Liverpool

The Giuseppe Meazza is the place to be on Tuesday when two of the Champions League big shots come face to face, as Inter Milan hosts Liverpool in a Euro blockbuster.   

After five rounds Inter are fourth in the Champions League table with a route straight through to the knockout phase in their grasp, while Liverpool are in 13^th but only three points behind their hosts.    

Cristian Chivu’s Inter started the competition well with a 2-0 victory away to Ajax, before beating Slavia Prague 3-1, Union St Gilloise 4-0 and the Kairat Almaty 2-1, before losing their winning run in a 2-1 loss away to Atletico. 

Arne Slot is under increasing pressure at Anfield with his side eighth in the Premier League table, ten points behind leaders Arsenal and with a single league win in five. The Champions League has been a nice distraction and Liverpool made an impressive start, beating Atletico Madrid 3-2, but then they suffered a setback in a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray. The Reds slapped Eintracht 5-1 in Frankfurt, and then beat Real Madrid 1-0. But the pressure piled on Slot again, last time out in Europe, when they were battered 4-1 at Anfield by PSV Eindhoven.

Inter come into this game on the back of a 4-0 humbling of ambitious Como while Liverpool drew 3-3 away to Leeds United; so I fear for the Merseysiders in Milan. The Champions League 2025 betting odds place Inter and Pool as potential quarter finalists but both clubs want more than that, and they each have a point to prove on Tuesday.

 

Talking Points

Chivu is getting it right at Inter

After a perfect set of Champions League 2025 results Inter’s clash with Atletico Madrid didn’t go to plan as they lost to the Spaniards, but that turned out to be a mere blip in I Nerazzurri’s progress under new boss Chivu as they responded with three wins. After 14 rounds of the Scudetto race Inter have two more points than they had this time last year, have scored more and conceded fewer goals than under Simone Inzaghi’s team. And against Cesc Fabregas’ Como they were hugely impressive, beating them with four clinically taken goals, with superb performances from Luis Henrique, Hakan Calhanoglu and skipper Lautaro Martinez. Inter pressed energetically and attacked with speed and precision, and saw off their visitors with some ease. The Serie A title race is truly compelling and Inter went top on Saturday, but that could all change on Sunday.

Martinez is leading the race for the Capocannoniere with seven league goals, and with four goals in Europe Martinez is in the chasing pack for the Champions League Golden Boot, among a group of stellar sharpshooters chasing top scorer Kylian Mbappe. And, after bagging on Saturday, the Argentine star will be hungry for more against Liverpool.

 

Surely Salah will start for Liverpool

Slot’s beleaguered Liverpool missed a chance to go fifth on Saturday against Leeds United after letting a two goal lead slip and then conceding a 96^th minute leveller in a 3-3 draw. Hugo Ekitike had his best game in Red with a brace that put Liverpool in control and, at 2-2, Dominik Szoboszlai though he’d won it for the visitors until the Yorkshiremen struck again.       

Mo Salah was an unused substitute and he hasn’t started in any of the last three games, and Liverpool had to rely on an own goal to get a 1-1 draw with Sunderland last week. The Egyptian King has 46 Champions League goals and Slot is putting himself under more pressure by leaving Salah on the bench.

 

History

These two clubs are Champions League royalty with nine titles between them. Liverpool are six times kings of Europe, the last time in 2019, while 2025 finalists Inter have three titles, last winning in 2010. 

The Reds have had the upper hand in this relationship, beating the Nerazzurri four times and losing twice in the Champions League. The last encounter was in the 2021/22 Round of 16, when both teams won away, the Reds beating Inter on aggregate after taking a 2-0 victory away from Milan.

In terms of recent form the Italians are stronger; Inter have won four and lost two of their last six games, in all competitions, while Liverpool have won one, draw two and lost three.  

 

Betting Tip

Europe has been a nice distraction for Slot’s Liverpool but it doesn’t get much tougher than Inter Milan away, and the hosts are the SBOTOP favourites at 2.10 with the draw at 3.50 and Liverpool at 3.15.  

Inter have scored freely in their last two games, and have been comfortably ahead at half time in both matches and I think Chivu’s side will hit the Reds early on Tuesday.

   

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