Inter v Porto is a Champions League round of 16 first leg match to be played on Wednesday at 21:00: TV, line-ups, predictions.
There is no doubt that Inter, as runners-up in the seemingly toughest group stage group with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen, could find opponents of a different calibre in the round of 16. Porto will not be an insurmountable obstacle, but it should not be forgotten that in recent seasons it has almost always been indigestible for Italian teams, be it Champions or Europa League.
Juventus, who two years ago were sent home by the very team led (even then) by Sergio Conceiçao, knows something about this. Or Lazio, who last season beat the Portuguese in the Europa League play-off to reach the round of 16 and ended up coming off worst. In short, Simone Inzaghi and his men will have to use the utmost caution, the Dragões being a qualitatively inferior but at the same time tough opponent, to be taken with caution and dangerous if not approached with the right concentration. The minds of the Nerazzurri fans meanwhile go back to the mid-2000s, when Inter clashed with Porto two years in a row: the first in the round of 16 in 2004-05 (the derby with AC Milan would follow in the quarter-finals); the second in the group stage of the following season and the double challenge ended with a success on each side. But who comes out on top in this encounter?
Porto are in great form
Lautaro Martinez and his team-mates are second in the league with 47 points and lead the special ‘human’ ranking behind Napoli of the so-called Martians, who are 15 points ahead. The draw with Sampdoria probably scuttled their last hopes of returning to the Scudetto, but Inter, as they usually do, immediately bounced back, beating Udinese 3-1 at the San Siro, a match in which Lukaku also returned to goal.
Taremi (right) exults after a goal
In 2023, the Nerazzurri only lost the match against Empoli and drew with Samp and Monza: three missteps in the midst of so many victories, which, however, fuelled some doubts and confirmed the changing mood of Inzaghi’s troop. For the rest, only victories, including those in the two derbies with Milan in the championship and the Italian Super Cup. Significant improvements in the defensive phase, in light of the six clean sheets in the eleven matches played in the new year. In Portugal, on the other hand, Conceiçao’s Porto is a train, having won all their last ten matches in the various national competitions. Yet the Dragões are second behind eternal rivals Benfica, who have two more points in the Primeira Liga. In last autumn’s group stage they had finished ahead of everyone in a less than irresistible group with Club Brugge, Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid. Porto played their last match last Saturday: they beat Rio Ave with a goal from Toni Martinez.
Inter-Porto: latest line-up news
The Nerazzurri’s infirmary has almost completely emptied and the only player unavailable for the first leg against Porto is striker Correa. Onana returns in goal after being sidelined against Udinese, while Skriniar, who was also sidelined in the clash with the Friulians, will be back in defence. In the middle, Inzaghi’s main doubt is between the convalescent Brozovic and Mkhitaryan, who was among the best on the pitch last Saturday. There was also a good performance from Darmian, who will be preferred to Dumfries on the right flank. Lukaku and Dzeko are competing for a shirt up front, with a possible relay between the Belgian and the Bosnian.
Conceiçao will adopt the tried-and-tested 4-4-2, with the attacking pair formed by Toni Martinez and the irreplaceable Taremi. On the left, in defence, the ballot is between Wendell and Zaidu, while Grujic, Eustáquio, André Franco and Pepê will take their places in midfield. In doubt is the presence of Evanilson, who is not at his best. Otavio and Uribe should also remain on the bench. Out instead are Meixedo, Fabio Cardoso and Veron.
The prediction
The Champions League was a source of great satisfaction for Inter, who had the luxury of eliminating Barcelona in a group where their chances of going through were slim. Against Porto they are favourites, but the double challenge hides many pitfalls: Conceiçao’s men are confident, can count on an impeccable game organisation and do not lack individual quality either (the star is Iranian Taremi). Getting a positive result at the San Siro is crucial in order not to complicate life at the return leg. Another clean sheet cannot be ruled out, taking into account the low-scoring tendency of the Lusitanians.
The likely line-up for Inter v Porto
- INTER (3-5-2): Onana; Škriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Brozović, Çalhanoğlu, Dimarco; Lautaro Martínez, Lukaku.
- PORTO (4-4-2): Diogo Costa; João Mário, Pepe, Marcano, Wendell; Grujic, Eustáquio, André Franco, Pepê; Taremi, Toni Martínez.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0