Soccer
Prediction: Inter Milan to win 2-0
Best Odds: 11/2
Feyenoord and Inter Milan will lock horns with each other in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League last-16 tie this week. The match between the Eredivisie club and the Serie A outfit will be held at Stadion Feijenoord and is scheduled to kick off at 5:45pm UK time on Wednesday.
Feyenoord
Feyenoord are one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands who regularly compete for and win the league title and also feature in Europe’s major club competitions, such as the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. De club aan de Maas did well last season, but things have not been great so far this campaign.
De Stadionclub finished second in the Eredivisie table last season. Feyenoord are currently fourth in the league table with 44 points from 24 matches, as many as 16 points behind leaders Ajax. Robin van Persie’s side, though, did exceptionally well to get the better of AC Milan over two legs in the knockout round playoffs in the UEFA Champions League.
Feyenoord will head into the UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan on the back of a goalless draw with NEC Nijmengen at home in the Eredivisie. It came after a 2-1 win against Almere City in front of their fans in the league.
Team News:
Feyenoord are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Wellenreuther will be in goal for the Dutch club and will have Mitchell, Beelen, Hancko and Bueno in front of him in defence. Ivanusec, Moder and Smal will be the three midfielders. Hadj Moussa, Carranza and Paixao will be the three forwards.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan are one of the biggest clubs in the world who are back to being a force to be reckoned with again. The Nerarrurri won the Serie A title last season and could retain the Scudetto this campaign as well, and also reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2023.
Simone Inzaghi’s side are going strong at the moment. Inter are at the top of the Serie A table with 58 points from 27 matches, a point ahead of second-placed Napoli. The Italian giants ended up fourth in the League Stage table of the UEFA Champions League and booked their place in the Round of 16 with ease.
Inter will head into the UEFA Champions League match against Feyenoord on the back of a 1-1 draw with Napoli in Naples in Serie A. It came after a 2-0 win against Lazio at San Siro in the league which followed a 1-0 victory over Genoa in front of their fans in Serie A.
Team News:
Inter Milan are likely to line up in a 3-5-2 formation. Josep Martinez will be in goal for the Italian giants. Bisseck, Acerbi and Bastoni will be the three centre-backs. Pavard, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan and Dumfries will be deployed in midfield, with Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Thuram playing as the two centre-forwards.
Key Factors to Consider
- Feyenoord have won 3 of their last 6 matches in all competitions.
- Feyenoord has have drawn 3 of their last 6 matches in all competitions.
- Inter Milan have won 3 and lost 2 of their last 6 matches in all competitions.
- Marcus Thuram has scored 13 goals in 26 matches for Inter Milan so far this season.
- Inter Milan have won 5 and lost 1 of their last 6 UEFA Champions League matches.
Conclusion
Feyenoord have done well to get this far in the UEFA Champions League, and the Eredivisie club will fancy their chances of beating Inter Milan over two legs and progressing to the last-16 stage of Europe’s premier club competition. However, Inter are a better side, and it is very likely that the Nerazzurri will eke out a narrow win in the Netherlands this week.
Prediction: Inter Milan to win 2-0
Best Odds: 11/2
Read MoreJamie Jones