Inter-Atletico Madrid is a match valid for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League and is played Tuesday at 9 p.m.: TV, streaming, probable formations, predictions.
If Simone Inzaghi’s goal was to arrive at the Champions League fixture against Atletico Madrid with his mind unencumbered by other thoughts (see under “championship”), then he has achieved it in full. Indeed, his Inter team is preparing to face the Colchoneros of the former Simeone – as a player, the Argentine coach left a great memory in the Nerazzurri environment – in the best possible psychophysical condition.
In Serie A Lautaro Martinez and his teammates are confirming themselves as a real steamroller and in the last three weeks they have pulled away from their great rival, Juventus, taking advantage of the sudden and vertiginous drop of the Bianconeri. Inter, on the other hand, has continued to reap victory after victory – including the potentially decisive one against Massimiliano Allegri’s men, beaten 1-0 at the San Siro – and to consolidate its supremacy: with one match still to be made up, the Nerazzurri have a 9-point lead over Juve. A huge gap at this point in the tournament, and it is not wrong to claim that last Friday’s success over Salernitana, annihilated 4-0, allowed the team led by the Piacenza coach to mortgage the tricolor.
It is an unstoppable Inter team
It seems to have no weaknesses this Inter, best attack in Serie A and at the same time best defense, and only two defeats, in the league against Sassuolo and in the Coppa Italia against Bologna.
Now the Champions League exam, where the Nerazzurri could become one of the most credible outsiders as happened last year, when they reached the final and made the heavily favored Manchester City tremble. The draw for the round of 16, if we consider that Inter did not win their group – mocked by Real Sociedad on goal difference on the last day – did not go badly. “Cholo’s” Atletico Madrid, however, remains a scrappy team to be “handled with caution.” By contrast, the Colchoneros, who finished first in the group stage ahead of Lazio, are currently fourth in La Liga but far behind the two title contenders, Real Madrid and Girona.
Their biggest problem is their lack of continuity. On Saturday they overwhelmed Las Palmas 5-0 but in their three previous matches they had collected two defeats and a draw, including the knockout loss that for now decides the King’s Cup semifinal with Athletic Bilbao. Simeone in Milan will probably have to do without one of his best men, former Juventus man Morata: the Spanish striker returned to training with his teammates only a few days ago and is unlikely to be risked. Lemar, Azpilicueta and Gimenez are also absent. Inter’s only absence, however, is that of Acerbi, who trained separately along with the long-suffering Cuadrado.
The prediction
There is no precedent in the Champions League between the two teams, and the last official meeting dates all the way back to 2010, when an Inter side still fresh from the Triplete surrendered to the Madrid men in the match that awarded the European Super Cup (later won by the Spaniards). Inter is fresh off eight consecutive victories, is still unbeaten in the new year, and has collected five clean sheets in its last six matches. In front of such numbers, it is impossible not to consider the Nerazzurri favorites, although Atletico remains a tough opponent, always making grit and physicality their best weapons, although, unlike in past years, they have become a much more prolific team (in the group stage they scored less only than Manchester City).
The probable lineups of Inter-Atletico Madrid
INTER (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro Martínez, Thuram.
ATLETICO MADRID (5-3-2): Oblak; Riquelme, Hermoso, Witsel, Savić, Marcos Llorente; Barrios, Koke, De Paul; Griezmann, Depay.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0
