Best odds: 13/20
Bookmaker:
Liverpool are set to welcome Inter Milan to Anfield for the second leg of their clash in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The Merseysiders won the first leg in Milan by 0-2, courtesy of goals from Roberto Firmino in the 75th and Mohamed Salah in the 83rd minute.
Liverpool
Having taken a trophy this season already by beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final the week before last, it s back to business for Liverpool. The talk of the fabled quadruple doesn t stop among the supporters, and even though manager Jurgen Klopp and his players are much more down-to-Earth in this matter, it doesn t mean they ll be slacking up any time soon. The victory in Milan may have given them a strong foothold to win the tie, but as Klopp rightly pointed out, the job isn t finished yet.
Liverpool are also strongly involved in the title race in the Premier League. They are second to Manchester City at the moment with a six-point deficit, but they also have a game in hand on the defending champions and they re yet to take each other on at the Etihad in April. Much will depend on that contest.
Liverpool s last-six run still includes the first leg of this contest. After that, they beat Norwich City 3-1 and Leeds United 6-0 at home, and beat Chelsea in that final on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes. Then came Norwich at Anfield again in the fifth round of the FA Cup and Liverpool won that encounter as well by 2-1, and they triumphed 1-0 over West Ham also at home on Saturday, the only goal of the match being the work of Sadio Mane at an assist from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Team News
Klopp might well have the full squad at his disposal for this match. The only player who s not quite 100% certain be ready is Firmino with the manager saying the Brazilian forward might need a few days more in training, but midfielder Thiago Alcantara and defender Joel Matip are back from hamstring injury and illness, respectively.
Inter Milan
Much like Liverpool in the Premier League, Inter are locked in the battle for the title in the Serie A, though they are actually in a better position in that aspect than their English counterparts. Sitting second to city rivals AC Milan at the moment, they are just two points behind with a tally of 58 and have a game in hand, though Napoli in third place with 57 must be taken into the equation. Ruling out Juventus, who are fourth on 53, would obviously be a mistake as well.
Nonetheless, defending the title the team won last season under Antonio Conte would certainly be a huge statement for Simone Inzaghi and the whole club, proving to the whole world, as well as themselves, that the success of 2020-21 was no fluke. That, on the other hand, doesn t mean the Nerazzurri will be giving their Champions League hopes up just yet. A difficult task lies ahead; Liverpool are extremely difficult to beat under the lights of Anfield, but the Serie A champions will surely give it a good go.
Apart from these two competitions, Inter are currently in the middle of a semifinal tussle with AC Milan in the Coppa Italia. The first leg ended goalless, and the second is set to take place in April.
Inzaghi s men aren t exactly on great form. Their last-six run consists of a 1-1 draw away to Napoli, the 0-2 defeat to Liverpool in the first leg, a shocking defeat 0-2 at home at the hands of Sassuolo, a goalless draw away to Genoa, the goalless first leg of the Coppa semi against AC Milan, and a 5-0 thrashing of Salernitana at Giuseppe Meazza on Friday. Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko were both on fire in that match, with the former bagging a hat-trick and the latter a brace.
Team News
Arturo Vidal is likely to start against Liverpool again in the place of the suspended Nicolo Barella. Ivan Perisic is a huge doubt after missing the Salernitana clash with a reported muscle overload, and even though Inzaghi has options in the form of Robin Gosens, Federico Dimarco or Mateo Darmian on the left flank, the absence of the experienced Croatia international would be a blow indeed.
Given the way Martinez and Dzeko played on Friday, it s hard to imagine Inzaghi giving either Alexis Sanchez or Joaquin Correa a start upfront.
Conclusion
The first game between these two teams was an exciting contest, and though Liverpool got an excellent result, Inter weren t without chances. They ll likely take heart from that fact, and having nothing to lose at this point, they ll try to attack the hosts from the start.
Liverpool are still the favourites, not only to go through but to complete the double over Inter as well, but there should be plenty of attacking intent for the neutrals to enjoy.
Verdict: Total goals over 2.5
Best odds: 13/20
Bookmaker:
