Preview: Inter Milan vs. Red Star Belgrade – prediction, team news, lineups

After a fighting draw in theirs Champions League Opener, Inter Milan will be looking for their first win in the league phase on Tuesday, as they welcome Red Star Belgrade to San Siro.

While Inter are a formidable force on home soil, Red Star are still looking for their first away win in UEFA's top club competition since the end of the European Cup era.

Game preview

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Runners-up in the 2023 final behind Manchester City – their most successful Champions League season since winning the trophy 13 years ago – Inter faced the English champions again on the opening day of this season.

Armed with a game plan, Simone Inzaghi's men defended deeply and were ultimately only the second team to stop an attack Pep Guardiola-Trained City team that scored a goal at home in Europe's elite competition.

The three-time European champions have now kept 13 clean sheets in their last 22 top-level games – more than any club since the start of the 2022/23 season – and have lost just two of their last 16.

This underlines their status as contenders to win this year's tournament Series A The team is also unbeaten in nine Champions League home games, which is their best streak since defeating Bayern Munich in the 2010 final.

However, the Nerazzurri had failed to win in three games, including their visit to Manchester, before claiming a 3-2 win in Udine at the weekend as they recovered from a bitter derby defeat to AC Milan.

After Inter's late defeat in the Derby della Madonnina Davide Frattesi He calmed his nerves by scoring the first goal in the first minute and became captain Lautaro Martinez He finally scored his first club goals of the season to beat Udinese.

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Inter faced the visitors just twice on Tuesday, with the Italian giants progressing 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the 1980/81 European Cup.

Including qualifying matches, Red Star Belgrade failed to win any of their last eight games against Serie A teams. When they return to San Siro, they will therefore look to end a streak that dates back to December 2005.

Crvena Zvezda finished fourth in their group last season, losing five of six games, but then won their seventh straight Serbian league title before beating Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League playoffs and securing their place in the secured the new league phase.

On the opening match day, Red Star coach Vladan Milojevic Within half an hour his team had to accept a deficit against Benfica, despite everything Felicio MilsonThe late goal meant they were unable to pick up a point at the Marakana.

They soon responded to this defeat with their biggest Eternal Derby win over Partizan Belgrade this century; and after a great 4-0 win, they defeated Zeleznicar Pancevo 2-1 and remained unbeaten in the league this season.

Having won eight of nine games so far – 27 goals and just five conceded – they are back on top in Serbia, but repeating that form at European level has proven difficult to achieve.

Red Star have lost all nine away games in the Champions League so far and only two teams have played more away games in the competition without achieving a single win.

Inter Milan Champions League form:

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

Red Star Belgrade Champions League Form:

Form of Red Star Belgrade (all competitions):

Team news

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Inter's biggest concern ahead of their first home game in the Champions League is the fitness of the influential midfielder Nicolo Barellawho was out at the weekend with a thigh injury.

Either Piotr Zielinski or Davide Frattesi would represent him if the Italy international is unable to recover on Tuesday while at Canadian full-back Taion Buchanan is the hosts' only confirmed absentee.

Simone Inzaghi may change his squad ahead of a tough league game against Turin, but whichever team he chooses, he will have plenty of experience: the average age of Inter's starting XI against Manchester City was 29 years and 363 days – the second oldest of any team on the opening day.

Meanwhile, Red Star Belgrade will travel without Ognjen Mimovic (foot) and long-term absence Vladimir Lucic (Knee).

Paired in central midfield, Rade Krunic – who returns to San Siro, where he won the Scudetto with Milan in 2022 – and Timi Elsnik have the task of keeping the Nerazzurri at bay.

Not only did Elsnik create the most chances (four), complete the most passes (58) and game-breaking passes (16) against Benfica, but the Slovenian star also won the ball more times (eight) than any other Crvena Zvezda player.

I'm fighting against it Bruno Duarte start at the beginning, Cherif Ndiaye recently scored a hat-trick in the Eternal Derby and is the visitors' top scorer this season with seven goals.

Possible Inter Milan starting lineup:
Summer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Zielinski, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Taremi, Thuram

Possible starting lineup for Red Star Belgrade:
glazier; Seol, Djiga, Spajic, Rodic; Krunic, Elsnik; Silas, Ivanic, Milson; Ndiaye

We say: Inter Milan – Red Star Belgrade 3:1

With a record of nine wins from the last 13 Champions League home games, Inter are the strong favorites for the maximum points in Milan.

Buoyed by a win at the weekend, the Nerazzurri should be back to close to their best and ready to take advantage of Red Star's away problems.

For data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this game, please click here.

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