Inter are aiming to reach the Champions League semi-finals for only the fourth time this century when they face Bayern Munich in their quarter-final second leg on Wednesday night.
In a repeat of the 2010 Champions League final – the last triumph for Inter in Europe’s premier competition – the Nerazzurri secured an impressive 2-1 victory at the Allianz Arena during last week’s first leg, with Davide Frattesi’s late strike offering them a lead to protect at San Siro.
Inter have proven an immensely challenging side to beat under Simone Inzaghi’s tutelage and reached the final of this competition back in 2022/23 – a run they could realistically replicate this season. If they avoid defeat to their German visitors midweek, they will secure their place in the last four and close in on the showpiece event.
Bayern have been far more prolific in the Champions League over recent years and are aiming for a second successive trip to the semis. The odds are stacked against them in Milan but Vincent Kompany boasts an extremely talented squad capable of silencing the home crowd on Wednesday. They were undone by the counter-attacking Italians last week and must be more clinical on their travels.
Inter have fewer injury concerns than their visitors heading into Wednesday’s second leg but remain without Denzel Dumfries, Piotr Zielinski and Valentin Carboni. The trio all missed the first leg but Mehdi Taremi, who was also absent in Bavaria, returned to the bench against Cagliari at the weekend.
Inzaghi is unlikely to make many changes from the side that secured an important one-goal cushion in Munich last week, but Federico Dimarco should return at wing-back having missed the first leg with a small fitness issue.
Former Bayern men Yann Sommer and Benjamin Pavard will be aiming to frustrate their old employers on Wednesday.
Inter predicted lineup vs Bayern Munich (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.
Bayern Munich team news
Bayern will continue without first-choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer midweek after the German giants confirmed his absence ahead of the trip to Milan. 21-year-old winter signing Jonas Urbig will deputise between the sticks.
The Bundesliga leaders are still without a host of key first-teamers outfield, too. Dayot Upamecano, Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies won’t play again this season – the latter potentially out for the rest of the calendar year – and young Tarek Buchmann remains absent with a shoulder injury.
Jamal Musiala’s creativity will be sorely missed at San Siro as well, with the attacking midfielder sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained at the beginning of the month, but Aleksandar Pavlovic and Kingsley Coman are both available once more after making their comebacks in the weekend’s 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern Munich predicted lineup vs Inter (4-2-3-1): Urbig; Laimer, Dier, Kim, Stanisic; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Muller, Sane; Kane.
