Match Result: Internazionale v Liverpool
Internazionale have been strong at home in the Champions League this season. The Nerazzurri started off their campaign with a 3-0 home win over Sparta Prague before they hammered Red Bull Salzburg 5-0. However, there have been other results that proved a little less convincing, with a 1-0 win over Arsenal and a 1-1 draw with Barcelona showing that the Italian champions are happy to dig in and get results.
Their latest Champions League outing saw them make the trip to Monaco and come away with a goalless draw. That means Simone Inzaghi's team have been unable to find the net in three of their past four matches in the competition, with the other being a 1-0 win over RB Leipzig at the San Siro. However, there was a thrilling 4-1 away win at Pisa in the Coppa Italia.
Liverpool are sitting in fourth position in the Champions League standings. Their opening fixtures saw them record a comfortable 3-1 home win against AC Milan before they won 2-0 at Bologna. The Reds then beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 at Anfield and there were wins away to RB Leipzig (1-0) and Real Madrid (2-0).
Therefore, it's been a magnificent campaign for Arne Slot's side so far. The only blot on the copybook was a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium last week after they had raced into a two-goal lead. Liverpool are unbeaten on the road in four Champions League matches so far this term and they will come to Italy full of confidence.
Goals Under/Over
Under 2.5 Goals is the bookmakers' selection for this intriguing Champions League match-up. At the time of writing, punters can get 1.67 and that implies there is a 60% chance of two or fewer goals being scored at the San Siro. In five Champions League matches, Internazionale have seen just one of them end Over 2.5 Goals and that was the 5-0 demolition of Red Bull Salzburg.
As for Liverpool, three of their six matches have ended Over 2.5 Goals. We're thinking about the thrilling 4-0 success against Bayer Leverkusen and there was also a 3-1 win against AC Milan. The draw with West Ham at the London Stadium also yielded four goals. However, there were low-scoring wins at Bologna, RB Leipzig and Real Madrid, with all three matches ending 2-0 or 1-0.
BTTS
The bookies have gone with BTTS No as being the most likely outcome in this encounter. Their pricing suggests there is a 59% chance of one team or neither team scoring. We can see where they are coming from. After all, Internazionale have a strong defensive record at the San Siro and they're yet to concede at home in the Champions League.
In six of the past seven Liverpool matches in all competitions, we have seen the games end BTTS No. Previously to that, there were four consecutive Reds matches where BTTS Yes was able to happen. This game forms part of a busy schedule for the Merseyside team, with matches against Sunderland and Leeds preceding a trip to the San Siro before a home match against Brighton.
First Goalscorer
Let's start with Internazionale who are the favourites to win. Their sharpest shooter remains Lautaro Martinez who has fourteen in all competitions this season. The Argentine was on target with a brace away to Pisa where the striker was able to break the deadlock in the 69th minute before sealing the deal in the 83rd minute with a neat finish.
That came after a three-game scoring run where the experienced forward was able to notch against Kairat Almaty, Lazio and Angola (the latter for his country). Hakan Calhanoglu is another player who can provide a threat and the Turkish star has found the net seven times for club and country this season. However, he hasn't scored for his club since the end of October.
As for Liverpool, we know all about their attacking threat and Alexander Isak might well get up and running for the Reds. The Swede found the net at the London Stadium and the other player who thrived in the absence of Mohamed Salah was Cody Gakpo. There is also the possibility of finding that Florian Wirtz takes up scoring positions and he's operating in a preferred attacking midfield position.