Benfica and Inter Milan are set to trade tackles at the Estadio da Luz in the first leg of their competitive-looking Champions League quarter-final tie.
Benfica proved a top-table finish in Group H ahead of non-other than PSG and Juventus was no fluke (W4, D2) by thrashing Belgian outfit Club Brugge 7-1 on aggregate in the first knockout round. Benfica’s bid to progress beyond the quarter-finals for the first time in the Champions League era after five failed attempts will hinge on their ability to bounce back from a gut-wrenching 2-1 Primeira Liga loss to arch-rivals Porto at the weekend. That result knocked Roger Schmidt’s side down from an eye-catching eight-match winning streak in all competitions. Seven of their eight victories in that sequence saw Benfica prevail by multi-goal margins, highlighting the potential for picking up a much-needed first-leg advantage. Adding to the home side’s confidence, they’ve gone unbeaten in 79% of their European meetings with Italian opposition in Lisbon (W7, D4, L3).
Meanwhile, Inter Milan could be on the verge of sacking underperforming manager Simone Inzaghi despite reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since their triumphant 2009/10 season. Inzaghi’s team squeezed past Benfica’s bitter rivals Porto 1-0 on aggregate in the round of 16, making it three straight Champions League knockout games without losing or conceding (W2, D1). However, the Italians will take the field under tremendous pressure after a disastrous 1-1 draw at Serie A minnows Salernitana last weekend condemned them to a sixth consecutive match without a win in all competitions (D3, L3). With their hopes of landing another top-four finish in Serie A hanging by a thread, Inter will have a point to prove in Lisbon, especially after going winless on their last six competitive travels (D4, L2).
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