Inter Milan vs Eintracht Frankfurt Predictions

Inter may have drawn on the road last week, keeping a clean sheet in the process, though it’s easy to feel that the 0-0 which they secured in Germany wasn’t a great result. They did stop their hosts from scoring, but they failed to get an away goal. Their progression to the next round now relies solely on winning at home. If Frankfurt score early doors, which is far from out of the question, then the Italians could be in big trouble.

The first leg did end without a goal being scored, but it was anything other than a dull affair. In truth, both teams will be disappointed that they didn’t get on the score-sheet, though since away goals are so valuable, Inter, who really ought to have scored since they clocked 1.7 expected goals for, will be the more disappointed of the two. That said, while they should’ve scored, they also should’ve conceded, as they shipped 1.58 expected goals and allowed Frankfurt to muster seven shots on target.

Failing to capitalise on some decent opportunities was something that Inter did in the first leg of the previous round, as they scored just once away against Rapid Wien, though they had few problems finding the net at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, as they scored four times. Frankfurt are tougher to face than Rapid, though such form bodes well for the hosts.

Frankfurt’s away-day efforts in this competition have been mixed; they won each of their three away games during the groups, though they were fortunate, especially against both Marseille and Apollo, as they shipped 1.44 and 1.77 expected goals respectively, while they clocked just 0.87 and 1.12 at the other end. Moreover, while they certainly hurt Shakhtar on the road in the previous knockout round, they once again looked shaky at the back, as they shipped two goals and conceded 1.3 expected goals, which is particularly disappointing since their opponents played over 70 minutes with ten men.

Offensively, as we saw last week, both teams are very capable, though Frankfurt’s defensive efforts on the road in this competition suggest that they’ll offer less resistance than the Italian hosts, who kept a clean sheet and home in the last round and who shipped just 0.38 expected goals doing so.

Taking into consideration that Inter created marginally more than Frankfurt in the first leg, coupled with the fact that it is they who’re fancied to offer more at the back, it’s easy to feel that the hosts are ever so slightly overpriced. On this basis, a bet on Inter to edge it and thus progress to the next round is the way to go.