Three-time Champions of Europe, Inter Milan will kick off the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League in a game which shall see them host Slavia Prague.
Both Clubs are currently going through good form and would want to get the points on board in their respective pool as well, as many have labelled it as the ‘Group of Death.’
Match Details:
Date- September 17, 2019
Time of Kick-Off- 10:25 pm (IST)
Venue- San Siro
Inter Milan Team News:
Inter Milan under the managerial leadership of Antonio Conte is looking like a different side altogether.
Inter currently resides at the top spot in Serie A as they beat Udinese at the weekend.
Romelu Lukaku who has scored two goals in his first three appearances for the Italian giants picked up a niggle while facing Udinese and was subbed off in the second half.
However, Lukaku is expected to play a part in the game versus Salvia Prague be it in the starting 11 or the bench.
Politano and Barella might make way for Vecino and Martinez in the lineup.
Slavia Praha Team News:
Slavia boss Jindrich Trpisovsky will want his side to enjoy the aura of the UEFA Champions League under the floodlights as football fans might not have many expectations from them in the competition.
Having said that, Slavia did manage to make it into the quarterfinal round of the Europa League last season.
Talking about the Czech First League, Slavia Prague sits comfortably at the top spot with 23 points, with seven wins, two draws, and zero defeats in the nine games so far.
Another positive for Slavia is that they’ve got fully-fit squad with no major-minor injuries.
Predicted Lineups:
Inter Milan: Handanovic; Godin, De Vrij, Skriniar, Candreva, Veciono, Brozovic, Sensi, Asamoah, Lukaku, Martinez.
Slavia Prague: Kolar; Kudela, Hovorka, Zeleny, Husbauer, Trarore, Masopust, Stanciu, Olayinka, Skoda.
Key Points:
Inter Milan are currently in red hot form with four consecutive since the start of the new season.
Slaivia Prague, on the other hand, is undefeated too in their respective nine games (W:8, :2)
The last time Inter and Slavia squared off was in 2016-17 Europa League group stages. The first leg was won by Slavia Prague by 3-1 before being on the receiving end at Inter’s turf as they beat them 2-1.
This is Slavia Prague’s second time in the group stages of the Champions League. The last time they were seen competing in the biggest platform in Europe was 12 years ago.
Inter Milan and Slavia Prague would be eager to register a win as they’ve got FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund in Group F which makes their job even more challenging.
For Inter Milan Stefano Seni in midfield with two goals in three appearances along with an 89% pass accuracy can prove to be the go-to-guy, alone with Romelu Lukaku up front with two goals already to his kitty.
While for Slavia, Josef Husbauer with four goals in nine games can possibly be a threat from midfield.
Prediction: Though Inter Milan had to suffer an early exit in last season’s Champions League, Antonio Conte seems to have brought in positivity along with a bunch of goal-scoring players who have certainly made an impact. Inter’s new outlook and experience of being in the UEFA Champions League and even winning it in the past might be too hot to handle for a bold Slavia Prague side.
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INT vs SLPG Fantasy Team: