Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Inter Milan and Kairat, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Aiming to prolong their perfect start to this season’s Champions League, Inter Milan will welcome rank outsiders Kairat to San Siro on Wednesday.
Leading into the first official meeting between clubs from Italy and Kazakhstan, Inter have won nine of their last 10 matches; meanwhile, Kairat recently retained their domestic crown but have picked up just one point in Europe.
Match preview
Inter may have suffered a humbling at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain last season, heavily losing their second final in three seasons, but they still rank among the top performers in UEFA’s elite competition.
One of five sides to win their first three league-phase fixtures, the Italian giants have already put Ajax, Slavia Prague and Union Saint-Gilloise to the sword, getting themselves on track for an automatic place in the knockout stages.
Alongside Arsenal, they are the only team to keep a trio of clean sheets so far, taking their shut-out tally to a scarcely believable 11 from their last 12 group or league-phase games.
Led by free-scoring captain Lautaro Martinez, the Nerazzurri also pack a punch in attack: including all three matches in the current campaign, they have scored at least twice in 10 of their last 11 Champions League outings.
Such stellar form has not quite been replicated in Serie A, but Cristian Chivu‘s side have recently recovered from a couple of setbacks to move within one point of Scudetto holders Napoli at the top.
Last weekend, a superb set-piece strike by Piotr Zielinski and a lucky late own goal saw Inter snatch victory against lowly Hellas Verona, teeing them up nicely to extend their remarkable European record in Milan.
While Wednesday’s hosts are unbeaten in 17 Champions League home fixtures – winning no fewer than 14 – Kairat have never won a single game at Europe’s top level.
By prevailing on penalties in the final round of this season’s qualifiers, turfing out Scottish champions Celtic, the Kazakh club broke new ground – but they have since been handed a reality check.
Beaten 4-1 by Sporting Lisbon on matchday one, Rafael Urazbakhtin‘s men then slumped to a 5-0 home defeat against Spanish giants Real Madrid, before salvaging some pride with a goalless draw last time out.
Despite dominating both possession and the shot count against fellow underdogs Pafos, Kairat ultimately had to settle for a single point, even though their visitors were reduced to 10 men soon after kickoff.
So, the Almaty-based side are now without a win in six Champions League games – qualifying included – having also failed to score in five.
After drawing 1-1 with their nearest domestic rivals on a dramatic final matchday, Kairat recently finished two points above Astana in the Kazakhstan Premier League, thereby claiming back-to-back titles.
However, they now need to raise their game several notches to confront another continental heavyweight.
Inter Milan Champions League form:
W W W
Inter Milan form (all competitions):
W W W L W W
Kairat Champions League form:
L L D
Kairat form (all competitions):
W L W W D D
Team News
After Chivu rotated his resources on Sunday, Inter’s head coach may be tempted to do so again in midweek, amid a heavy fixture schedule.
Regular starters Nicolo Barella, Federico Dimarco, Francesco Acerbi and Denzel Dumfries were all rested against Verona, but others could now make way.
One man who would surely resist a rest is Martinez, who will be keen to continue some incredible form in the Champions League: ‘El Toro’ has scored 11 goals across his last 10 European outings.
Marcus Thuram recently returned to training, so the Nerazzurri’s French striker might be handed a few minutes, but Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny should fight it out to partner Martinez up front.
Only Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Matteo Darmian are expected to miss out for the hosts, while Kairat are missing forward pair Joao Paulo and Elder Santana.
Both Brazilians are long-term absentees who were omitted from the club’s squad list for the league phase, while their compatriot Edmilson – who scored against Sporting – is a minor doubt.
In their absence, Chelsea-bound prospect Dastan Satpaev is set to lead the visitors’ attack, supported by Portuguese playmaker Jorginho.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Martinez, Esposito
Kairat possible starting lineup:
Anarbekov; Tapalov, Martynovich, Sorokin, Mata; Glazer, Arad; Mrynskiy, Jorginho, Gromyko; Satpaev
We say: Inter Milan 4-0 Kairat
Kairat have to overcome both a huge westward journey and a huge gulf in class on Wednesday evening, and Inter will not let them bridge it.
The Nerazzurri are virtually unbeatable in European games at San Siro, and they are also approaching peak form.
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