Champions League: Inter Milan vs Benfica Odds, Preview
Rematch of 2022-23 UCL Quarterfinals
Both Sides Going for First UCL Win of Season
Two of Europe’s most storied clubs meet in Champions League action on Tuesday as Inter Milan host Benfica. These teams last played each other in April, when Inter won 5-2 on aggregate in the UCL quarterfinals. Benfica just defeated bitter rivals Porto in O Classico so should have some confidence heading into this one. Inter have started off the season well too and currently lead Serie A. In a blockbuster UCL match, we’ll run through the Inter vs Benfica odds.
Inter Milan vs Benfica
Date & Time:
Location: Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy
Head-to-Head:
Inter Milan and Benfica have met in UEFA competitions on five previous occasions. The Nerazzurri have historically been a soccer bet in this fixture, with a 3-2-0 all-time record. In last season’s Champions League quarterfinals, Inter won the first leg 2-0 in Lisbon and drew 3-3 at home. Nicolo Barella scored for Inter Milan in both legs.
Martinez Scores Four for Inter vs Salernitana
Lautaro Martinez set a Serie A record on Saturday as he became the first player in the three-points-for-a-win era to score four goals as a substitute. Martinez simply couldn’t miss vs. Salernitana and he scored all of the Nerazzurri’s goals in the 4-0 win. It was the first time all season Martinez didn’t start and he certainly made his time on the pitch count. The Argentine international now leads Serie A with nine goals through seven matches.
Inter Milan players are dominating the Serie A stats at present. Marcus Thuram, who joined from Borussia Monchengladbach over the Summer, leads the league with four assists. New goalkeeper Yann Sommer also has the most shutouts in the league, with five. Inter have picked up where they left off last season after finishing ahead of Barcelona in the UCL standings and making the Champions League final. Now, the Inter vs Benfica odds list the Nerazzurri as -125 home favorites.
The current Serie A leaders drew their first UCL match of the season on the road at Real Sociedad. Martinez scored an 87th-minute equalizer to preserve a point. Martinez has been playing like one of the best strikers in the world over the past years or so and it wouldn’t at all be surprising if he makes the difference here. Still, Inter’s defense deserves a lot of credit for conceding just three times through their first seven Serie A matches.
Di Maria Scores Benfica’s Winner in O Classico
Angel Di Maria scored Argentina’s opening goal in the World Cup final and he’s no stranger to scoring massive goals. Di Maria did it again on Friday for Benfica in O Classico vs. FC Porto. Di Maria’s 68th-minute strike was the only goal of the game and it marked the second straight time Benfica defeated their bitter rivals.
Benfica, with a 6-1 record, is in second place in the Primeira Liga just a point behind Sporting. However, in a match they expected to win, Benfica fell on Champions League Matchday 1 to RB Salzburg at home. Benfica’s game plan was turned on its head as center-back Antonio Silva received a straight red card in the 13th minute. Roko Simic scored for Salzburg on the ensuing penalty and Oscar Gloukh doubled the lead in the second half.
Silva will now miss Benfica’s trip to Milan on Tuesday and Morato could fill in at center back. Benfica have made the UCL quarterfinals for two years running and a second straight loss to open up their campaign would severely hurt their chances to advance out of the group. Between Di Maria, Rafa Silva, Petar Musa, and David Neres, Benfica have a lot of attacking players that can cause problems, though.
Match Analysis & Odds
In one of the best Champions League matches today, Inter Milan are -125 favorites vs. Benfica. The Nerazzurri scored five goals in two matches vs. Benfica last season and are absolutely expected to get on the board here. Inter over 1.5 goals displays -125 odds and over 2.5 goals for the match sit at -115. The Inter vs Benfica odds also price visiting Benfica as +335 underdogs.
Recall that Benfica has never defeated Inter Milan and it’ll be an uphill battle to pull that off at the San Siro. Although, Benfica did manage a two-goal comeback to get a 3-3 draw in Milan in April. Both Inter -0.5, -1 and Benfica +0.5, +1 show -110 odds here as Inter looks to avoid a second defeat at the San Siro in the span of a week. Prior to Inter’s 4-0 win at Salernitana, they fell 2-1 to Sassuolo midweek.
With the form Lautaro Martinez is in, it wouldn’t at all be a surprise if he manages to get on the scoresheet here. He scored in the second leg of the quarterfinal vs. Benfica back in April as well. Lastly, bettors can take a draw at +285 odds for this one.
For UCL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
