High flying Inter Milan welcome Atletico Madrid
In perhaps the pick of this year’s last-16 ties, Inter Milan meet Atletico Madrid, with the first leg of their Champions League clash taking place at San Siro on Tuesday.
Last season’s runners-up, Inter are flying high at the top of Serie A; meanwhile, Atleti stormed through the group stage to reach the knockout rounds once again.
Having started 2024 with eight wins on the spin, Inter can consider themselves in peak form ahead of their return to the Champions League, in which they have proven to be one of Europe’s elite teams over the past two seasons.
Nine points clear atop Serie A following Friday’s 4-0 defeat of rock-bottom Salernitana – which saw captain and top scorer Lautaro Martinez add further to his impressive goal tally – the Milan giants are also among the favourites to reach June’s Champions League finale at Wembley.
Since finishing second in Group D, just behind Real Sociedad, Simone Inzaghi‘s side have suffered only one significant setback – dramatically losing in extra time to Bologna in the Coppa Italia – and the New Year has seen them reach new heights.
Under Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid have won five of six previous knockout matches against Italian clubs in continental competition, and the Spanish side now seek their sixth at San Siro, where they have yet to take on Inter.
The teams’ only competitive meeting was in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup, won by Los Colchoneros thanks to goals from Sergio Aguero and the late Jose Antonio Reyes, but now another heavyweight contest awaits.
Simeone’s side blitzed their way through Group E during the autumn – scoring 17 Champions League goals this season is already their best tally for a decade.
Warming up for the trip to Milan with a 5-0 drubbing of Las Palmas saw them end a three-game streak without victory and continue a magnificent run of results at the Metropolitano this season: 12 wins and one draw represents by far the best home record in Spain’s top flight.
On the road, though, Atletico have won only four times in the league, and they are sure to be put under pressure by an Inter side that rarely loses on home soil.
Inter and Atletico can both call upon plenty of European experience, grit and nous, so a tight contest is to be expected. The two sides have scored freely this term, though, and an abundance of attacking talent will surely have their say.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
PSV Eindhoven host Borussia Dortmund at Philips Stadion
Runaway Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven put themselves to the test on Tuesday, as Borussia Dortmund arrive at Philips Stadion for the first leg of their last-16 tie in UEFA’s top club competition.
PSV’s first Champions League knockout game for eight years will see the Dutch side meet opponents that emerged unscathed from this season’s ‘Group of Death’.
Having previously lost on three consecutive occasions in qualifying, PSV finally returned to the big time earlier this season and finished second to Arsenal in a competitive Group B.
Victory against Lens ended the club’s 15-game run without a win in the Champions League group stage, while holding Sevilla and Arsenal to home draws continued an impressive undefeated streak at Philips Stadion – they have won the other six of their last eight European fixtures in Eindhoven.
Now making a fifth appearance in the knockout phase – and only their second in 17 seasons – PSV are trying to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007.
While their domestic season has not panned out anywhere near as well as PSV’s, Borussia Dortmund did finish top of a tightly-contested Group F before Christmas, ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Newcastle United.
Die Schwarzgelben started with a 2-0 loss in Paris before being held at home by Milan, but revived their campaign by doing the double over Newcastle and then secured progress with a 3-1 win at San Siro.
By contrast with Tuesday’s hosts, Dortmund have been last-16 regulars over the past decade, appearing at this stage of the Champions League in five of the last six seasons – though three of the last four ultimately ended in elimination.
Now, the European champions of 1997 travel to the Netherlands having lost eight of their last nine away games in the Champions League’s knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, Dortmund reinforced their squad by registering English duo Jadon Sancho and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, plus Ian Maatsen – the latter came through PSV’s youth system before joining Chelsea.
Goals are almost assured at Philips Stadion, where PSV are often relentless and can pummel their opponents into submission. Dortmund’s group-stage showing, however, suggests that they can take the fight to their hosts, staying in the contest ahead of next month’s game in Germany.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
