UEFA Champions League fixtures dominate the thinking of football fans in midweek, with the Round of 16 broadcast live on television starting Tuesday evening. Two games make up Tuesday’s schedule with another pair of fixtures on Wednesday, but we focus on the game in Italy, where Inter Milan host Atletico Madrid from 20:00 GMT. It’s always interesting when an Italian Serie A team plays a Spanish La Liga club and we’re expecting big things here.
Despite ranking amongst the most famous teams in European football, these clubs have met only once before in competitive action. That game was in the summer of 2010 when Atletico Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-0 in the European Super Cup thanks to goals from Jose Reyes and Sergio Aguero. Will Milan make their home advantage count to level the head-to-head score at one win each, or will Madrid pull clear? Keep reading as we provide our in-depth preview and expert predictions.
Milan remain unbeaten
Inter Milan finished second in Champions League Group D behind pool winners Real Sociedad. Both Sociedad and Milan ended the six-game group phase with unbeaten records and a dozen points on the board, but Sociedad snuck through in pole position thanks to a slightly better goal difference. Milan’s form showed three wins and three draws with eight goals scored and five conceded, ending well clear of Benfica in third.
The home team is also going great guns in the Serie A, where this sits on top of a competitive division, clear of nearest rivals Juventus. The Old Lady is winless in their last four league games, and this has allowed Milan to open a nine-point cushion over the former rulers of Italian football. Inter Milan is on easy street domestically and can focus on winning this competition, starting with a home victory over Atletico Madrid.
Madrid led the way
Atletico Madrid is the latest team from La Liga to face Inter Milan, and they hope to continue the competition’s good results against the Italian champions and leaders. Atletico Madrid head into this contest on the back of a strong showing in the pools when they topped Group E thanks to four wins and two draws, scoring 17 goals and conceding just six. The 14 points collected left Madrid four clear of runners-up Lazio, meaning they qualified for knockout football without much fuss.
Bet hereMadrid may have dominated their Champions League pool, but the team has been unable to carry that form into their La Liga campaign. Atletico is currently well off the pace set by leaders Real Madrid, sitting down in fourth place. They’ve won three, drawn one, and lost one of their last five and sit behind second-placed Girona and Barcelona in third. We expect an interesting finish to the season in Spain, but Atletico is unlikely to trouble the title race.
Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid prediction
Here we have a meeting of two teams that remain unbeaten in this competition so far this season. Atletico Madrid finished higher in their pool than Inter Milan, but the Italians have been much more consistent than their opponents in the league. Inter Milan leads the Serie A, while Atletico Madrid is miles off the pace in La Liga.
With Inter Milan showing better recent form and also enjoying a home advantage over the Spaniards, they could have enough to secure a home win. Inter knows their best chance of progressing to the next round comes from making home advantage count, and they’re good enough to achieve that with a first-leg win.
Champions League odds
If you’re a new or existing member of 22Bet, you can gamble on the winner of Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid or any of this midweek’s European games. The betting supports a home win, offering Inter Milan at odds of 1.80. If you prefer to bet on the visitors, you can back Atletico Madrid at 4.90 or the draw at 3.60.
In addition to the match-winner betting, 22Bet customers can also wager on several specials, including both teams to score, handicap, half-time/full-time, total goals, and more. There are over 100 pre-match and in-play betting markets available at the click of a button.
Make sure to bet on Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid with 22Bet!
Bet here
