After winning at Benfica 2-0 in the first leg last week thanks to goals scored by Nicolò Barella and Romelu Lukaku, Inter have the opportunity to qualify for the UEFA Champions League semifinals for the first time since season 2009-10 on Tuesday. On the other hand, Benfica are in the quarterfinals for the second season in a row but have lost all five ties at this stage. Here’s what you need to know:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Apr. 19 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: San Siro — Milan, Italy
- TV and live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Inter +107; Draw: +245; Benfica +245 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Inter vs. Benfica
Last meeting
The Nerazzurri delivered last week and ended Benfica’s unbeaten run in this season’s competition. It was match where both teams had chances but Inter were the more clinical side to put a foot into the semis.
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The sides’ only other meeting came in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup fourth round. The first leg in Lisbon finished goalless before a 4-3 victory for Alberto Zaccheroni’s Inter in Milan. Although Nuno Gomes gave the visitors the lead, Obafemi Martins leveled before the break. Alvaro Recoba put Inter in front on the hour and Christian Vieri quickly extended the lead. Nuno Gomes’ second goal of the night gave Benfica hope but Martins swiftly got his second and Inter’s fourth. Inter claimed their second European Cup at Benfica’s expense as well, Helenio Herrera’s side winning 1-0 in the 1965 final at their own San Siro home thanks to the goal scored by Jair.
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How they got here
Inter’s Group C campaign started and finished with 2-0 defeats against Bayern Munich, but they remained unbeaten in between those losses, collecting ten points including a decisive four against Barcelona (1-0 at home and 3-3 away) and wrapping up a spot in the knockout stage with a 4-0 success at home to Viktoria Plzen. The Nerazzurri knocked out Porto in the round of 16, winning 1-0 in Milan before holding out for a goalless draw in Portugal.
Benfica won four of their six Group H games, the exceptions being two 1-1 draws against Paris Saint-Germain. They finished in first place ahead of the French rivals in the same group with Juventus and Maccabi Haifa. Paired with Club Brugge in the round of 16, Benfica went through with a 2-0 win in Belgium and a 5-1 home success.
What to know
- This is Benfica’s first meeting with Italian opponents in a knockout tie since they beat Juventus 2-1 on aggregate in the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League semifinals.
- Inter have kept clean sheets in six of their last eight UEFA Champions League matches, including all three in the knockout phase.
- Former Inter midfielder Joao Mario had scored in five successive UEFA Champions League matches for Benfica, four of those goals penalties, before drawing a blank in the first leg.
Player to watch
Inter: Lautaro Martinez. Romelu Lukaku (four goals), Lautaro Martinez (three) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (two) had struck Inter’s previous nine goals before Robin Gosens scored at Salernitana. He was the first player aside from that trio to find the net for the Nerazzurri since Matteo Darmian on Jan. 31 and is Inter’s only scorer in their last four league games.
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Lautaro missed an early penalty in a 2-1 loss at Spezia on March 10. The Argentinian has failed to convert four of his last eight spot kicks since 2021-22. He has nine goals for Inter in 2023 but has failed to find the target in his last eight appearances in all competitions.
Projected lineups
Inter XI: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro, Dzeko.
Benfica XI: Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Antonio Silva, Morato, Grimaldo; Florentino, Aursnes; Neres, Rafa Silva, Joao Mario; Goncalo Ramos.
Prediction
Inter are showing to be a strong side at European level but come from three home Serie A defeats in a row. They need a reaction after losing again last Saturday against Monza. Pick: Inter 2, Benfica 1.