Inter vs Crvena zvezda prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-09-30 19:00.
[p]After beating Udinese 3-2 to end a three-game winless run (D2, L1), Inter Milan now switch their focus to UEFA Champions League (UCL) matters as they prepare to face Red Star Belgrade. The Nerazzurri’s gutsy defensive effort in a 0-0 draw at Manchester City on matchday one drew many plaudits, but they will be expected to be on the front foot here against an opponent they last met back in 1981! [/p]
[p]Inter avoided defeat in both H2Hs that year (W1, D1) and since Serbia gained independence, they have twice beaten Red Star’s bitter rivals Partizan. However, don’t necessarily expect this encounter to be one-sided, as the Italian giants haven’t kept back-to-back clean sheets at the start of a UCL main-draw campaign since 2005![/p]
[p]Red Star certainly have the ability to trouble their hosts, as Vladan Milojević’s men have won nine of their 12 matches so far this season (D1, L2), scoring 31 goals across those games in the process and conceding just nine. Those two defeats though have both been in the UCL – to Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of their qualifying play-off tie and to Benfica in their league-phase opener (both 2-1). [/p]
[p]The Red and Whites will probably not be looking at their overall record against Italian clubs for inspiration, as they have only won three of 27 such matches (D10, L14). They may, however, take some comfort from the fact that four of those last five meetings have ended in a draw – an outcome that would see them maintain their record of never having lost their first two main-draw UCL games in a season since a round-robin format was introduced. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Davide Frattesi scored inside a minute against Udinese on Saturday, meaning that he has now been on the winning side on the last ten occasions when he has found the net for club and country. Luka Ilić got the winner in a 2-1 victory over Železničar Pančevo, and if he scores in Milan, don’t be surprised if he is joined by at least one of his team-mates, as each of his last seven goals have come in games where the side that he’s represented that day have netted at least twice. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Since losing 3-1 to Manchester City in September 2023, Red Star haven’t tasted defeat after taking the lead in their last 43 such matches (W40, D3)![/p]
[p][i]Written by Alex Bowmer[/i][/p]