Inter Milan’s had a less than stellar start to its Serie A campaign, but a distraction has arrived in the form of the UEFA Champions League Matchday 1. The Nerazzurri are in Group B with the likes of Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Borussia Mönchengladbach. It’s the Germans who Inter face first at the San Siro.
Mönchengladbach finished 4th in the Bundesliga last season but currently finds itself all the way down to 11th with five points from four games. The Foals are yet to keep a clean sheet so far, like a certain team from Milan, so goals sure seems to be on the cards Wednesday. Even with its defensive struggles so far, Mönchengladbach is a very well-rounded side. It ended last season’s Bundesliga with the 3rd-best defense and 4th highest scoring attack. Going forward, Marcus Thuram, Alassane Pléa, and Jonas Hofmann are the main threats Inter will have to watch out for. Thuram ended last season with 10 goals and 8 assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances from the left-wing, while Plea had 10 of each as striker. Hofmann, meanwhile, is in quite the form to start this season, having notched a goal and 3 assists in 4 showings.
Inter is winless in its last two, but its not time to panic (yet...). Although Inter is five points off first place in Serie A, the Champions League should be the primary priority. With only six matches, the margin for error is practically non-existent as last season’s draw with Slavia Praha showed. Mönchengladbach seems to be Inter’s biggest competitor for second place, so a win at home to the Germans is vital.
Predicted Starting XIs
Prediction: Inter Milan 3-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Inter will come out on top, though not without needing a roller-coaster ride to get there. Both sides’ defenses will be exposed more often than not, but Lukaku and Lautaro’s combined firepower will muscle the Nerazzurri to three points.