Real Madrid vs Inter Milan: Champions League Clash Preview and Team Updates
Match Details
- Fixture: Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
- Competition: UEFA Champions League Group Stage
- Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
- Date & Time: Tuesday, September 8, 9 PM (19:00 GMT)
- Coverage: Al Jazeera Sport live text commentary from 16:00 GMT
Background
Jose Mourinho begins his second tenure at Real Madrid facing his former club Inter Milan, the Serie A champions. Mourinho famously led Inter to a historic treble in 2010, winning Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League, defeating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final at this very stadium. Soon after, he moved to Madrid.
Mourinho’s Perspective
“No, it is two different spells,” Mourinho said about his current mission compared to his first time at Madrid. “When I left in 2013, we did what we could. Now is a fresh start with nothing owed to the past.”
The Champions League title was the only major prize missing from his earlier Real Madrid period. Mourinho stressed the need for stability to achieve success. After a recent 1-0 La Liga loss to Real Betis, Mourinho emphasized that winning remains the priority despite challenges.
Kylian Mbappe on Team Dynamics
“The dressing room atmosphere hasn’t changed much from last year,” Mbappe said. “Yes, there’s a new coach, but it feels similar.”
Mbappe also admitted there is room for improvement in finishing chances, including himself. He mentioned the collective responsibility for better goal-scoring performances.
Recent Form
- Real Madrid’s Last Match: Lost 0-1 to Real Betis. Mbappe missed a late penalty. Vinicius Jr struck the post during the match, but Betis scored late through Troy Parrott.
- Inter Milan’s Last Match: Came from behind to beat Napoli 3-2. Lautaro Martinez scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner, completing a remarkable comeback.
Head-to-Head Record
- Total meetings: 19
- Real Madrid wins: 10
- Inter wins: 7
- Draws: 2
- Notably, Inter have not beaten Real Madrid since 1998 when Roberto Baggio scored twice.
Last Five Matches Between Teams
- Dec 7, 2021: Real Madrid 2-0 Inter Milan (Champions League)
- Sep 15, 2021: Inter Milan 0-1 Real Madrid (Champions League)
- Nov 25, 2020: Inter Milan 0-2 Real Madrid (Champions League)
- Nov 3, 2020: Real Madrid 3-2 Inter Milan (Champions League)
- Nov 25, 1998: Inter Milan 3-1 Real Madrid (Champions League)
Team News
Real Madrid
- Suspended: Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva
- Injured: Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio
- Fitness doubts: Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch, Endrick, Marc Cucurella (all back in training)
- Predicted lineup: Courtois (GK); Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Bellingham, Valverde; Diomande, Diaz, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe
Inter Milan
- Unavailable: Federico Dimarco (knee injury)
- Djed Spence recovering, unlikely to play
- Predicted lineup: Josep Martinez (GK); Bastoni, Bisseck, Akanji; Diouf, Barella, Jones, Calhanoglu, Augusto; Lautaro Martinez, Thuram
Prediction
According to Opta, Real Madrid hold a 56% chance of winning this match while Inter Milan are given 22.3%. The rest of the probability points go to draws.
