Feyenoordvs.Inter Milan

Despite sacking their manager, the Dutch side slayed AC Milan in last month's playoffs, and they now host Inter for the first leg of their last-16 contest.

Match preview

Having taken a 1-0 lead to San Siro, Feyenoord then defied all the odds to preserve that precious advantage - playing under the caretaker management of Pascal Bosschaart, following Brian Priske's brutal sacking just a few days before.

Faced with a long absence list - and with the opposition having just signed their star striker - the Rotterdam club saw Santiago Gimenez score an almost inevitable early goal to level the tie, but Milan's Theo Hernandez then received a second yellow card for diving.

Now playing against 10 men, Feyenoord's designated replacement for Gimenez, flu-stricken Julian Carranza, stepped off the bench to net an equaliser and Bosschaart's side ultimately progressed.

It was later announced that club legend Robin van Persie would be their third coach since Arne Slot's departure, and the former striker has fond memories of meeting Inter. He featured for Feyenoord in both legs of a 2002 UEFA Cup semi-final between the teams, en route to lifting the trophy.

This season, injuries and mismanagement have seen the Eredivisie side use a record 36 players in domestic football, and they recently suffered three defeats in eight league matches - as many as throughout the previous 50.

Since then, fourth-placed Feyenoord are unbeaten in six games, following a goalless home draw with NEC Nijmegen on Van Persie's dugout debut.

Now, having reached the last 16 for the first time in the Champions League era, the 1970 European champions aim to become just the fourth team to beat both Milan and Inter in the same continental campaign.

With only one loss from 12 home games against Serie A sides - including that clash with Inter in the 2001-02 season - history suggests they can claim another first-leg lead.

While Wednesday's hosts required a playoff, Inter finished fourth in the league phase to qualify directly for the last 16, conceding just one goal in eight fixtures - fewer than any other team.

In fact, under the management of Simone Inzaghi they have kept a clean sheet in almost 60% of their Champions League matches, which represents the best rate of any coach with at least 30 games played in UEFA's top tournament.

Across all competitions, the Nerazzurri have won 26 and lost just five of 39 games this season, recently overtaking immediate predecessors Napoli in the fight to retain their Serie A title.

When the Scudetto rivals met last weekend, a superb Federico Dimarco free kick put Inter on course to lead by four points with 11 rounds remaining, but they eventually conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 in Naples.

Despite a slightly jaded performance, reliant on last-ditch defending and lacking bite in the last third, Inzaghi's men are still fighting on three fronts, with a Coppa Italia semi-final against city rivals Milan scheduled for next month.

Perhaps starting to show signs of wear and tear after several years of success, Inter have averaged the oldest starting XI across this season's Champions League (29 years and 320 days), but with that comes plenty of experience.

The three-time European champions - and runners-up just two years ago - have lost only three of their last 23 matches in Europe's elite competition. Also unbeaten in 11 against Dutch sides since that 2002 loss to Feyenoord, they will surely rise to the occasion.

Feyenoord Champions League form:

D

W

W

L

W

D

Feyenoord form (all competitions):

W

W

D

D

W

D

Inter Milan Champions League form:

W

W

W

L

W

W

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

L

W

L

W

W

D

Team News

Amid an intense run of five games across a 16-day period, new Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie may be relying on some of the club's teenage talent, such as Givairo Read and Zepiqueno Redmond, both of whom started at San Siro.

However, Read must serve a suspension on Wednesday, when as many as 11 men could be missing through injury. Most notably, Hwang In-beom, Bart Nieuwkoop, Calvin Stengs, Gernot Trauner, striker Ayase Ueda, first-choice goalkeeper Justin Bijlow and captain Quinten Timber are ruled out; midfielders Antoni Milambo and Jakub Moder are both doubts.

Nonetheless, Igor Paixao will be available to support lone striker Julian Carranza: equalling a club record, the Brazilian winger has been directly involved in six goals in 10 Champions League games this season.

Meanwhile, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez could become his club's all-time top scorer in either the European Cup or Champions League - 'El Toro' is currently level with Sandro Mazzola on 17 goals.

He is set to partner Marcus Thuram up front, but Simone Inzaghi will be without several wing-backs - Carlos Augusto, Matteo Darmian, Federico Dimarco and Nicola Zalewski - due to muscular injuries.

Number one goalkeeper Yann Sommer is also sidelined, but Dutch centre-back Stefan de Vrij is an option in defence - he joined Feyenoord as a 10-year-old back over two decades ago, before going on to achieve success in Italy.

No Inter players are suspended this week, but Nicolo Barella, Denzel Dumfries, Benjamin Pavard or Kristjan Asllani would miss the second leg if booked.

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Mitchell, Beelen, Hancko, Bueno; Ivanusec, Moder, Smal; Hadj Moussa, Carranza, Paixao

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

J. Martinez; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Pavard, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dumfries; L. Martinez, Thuram

We say: Feyenoord 0-1 Inter Milan

In their last two Champions League games at De Kuip, the hosts have beaten Bayern Munich and Milan, so they are certainly no pushovers.

Written by

Jonathan O'Shea

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