Inter Milan vs Benfica Predictions

• Inter Milan have won eight of their last nine home matches in all competitions
• Benfica have scored in nine successive Champions League away games
• Inter have scored the opening goal in their last seven home games

Finalists needing to jump-start their campaign

Inter Milan had to overcome Benfica on the road to last season’s Champions League final and could do with repeating that trick to get this year’s campaign up and running.

The Italians needed to dig deep to salvage a point on Matchday 1 away to Real Sociedad but are odds-on to get a win on the board against Benfica, who they beat 5-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals last April.

They warmed up for Portuguese’s return visit by thrashing Salernitana 4-0 on Saturday with Lautaro Martinez making Serie A history by becoming the first substitute to score four in a Serie A game as he took his tally to ten goals in eight outings.

That victory helped Inter put a shock 2-1 home loss to Sassuolo behind them, a result which ended the Nerazzurri’s run of eight successive home wins in all competitions.

Benfica enjoying life on the road

The last time Inter had failed to win at the San Siro before that defeat was the 3-3 draw with Benfica in the second leg of their quarter-final tie, the Eagles scoring two late goals to save face as they ultimately bowed out.

That extended Benfica’s impressive unbeaten run in Champions League away games to ten matches, a sequence that includes a win over Juventus and draws at Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

Like Inter, they too are in need of the points to get their group stage up and running after a shock home loss to Salzburg in the first round

They played the majority of that game with ten men and Roger Schmidt’s men have won both their matches since then, defeating Porto at the weekend.

Benfica proved last season they shouldn’t be underestimated in the Champions League and they may well breach Inter’s defences having scored six on their last two trips to the San Sito

But Inter had their number over two legs last season and have been pretty reliable at home recently, making the home win and both teams to score a strong option.