Inter Milan and Tottenham start their Champions League Group B campaign on Tuesday night at the San Siro. Neither club goes into their first match of the tournament in good form.
Inter sit 14th in Serie A having won just once this season. The Nerrazurri lost at the weekend to Parma 1-0, and are struggling to score goals. Tottenham, on the other hand, have lost two straight matches in the Premier League. Their most recent loss came at the hands of Liverpool on Saturday.
Tottenham had been praised for their decision to not purchase any players during the transfer window. That praise has now turned to criticism once more as Tottenham’s key players are struggling with form and injury. Striker Harry Kane has scored twice this season, but he is showing signs of fatigue already. Last term, Tottenham relied heavily on the striker to earn them points. This season it looks like Kane may not be able to work the same magic he did previously.
Goalkeeper Hugh Lloris isn’t expected back for Tottenham until the end of September. Spurs must make do with backup Michel Vorm. The stand-in goalkeeper has been heavily criticised for his performances against Watford and Liverpool, both matches resulted in Tottenham defeats. Tottenham are still yet to give an update on midfielder Dele Alli heading into Tuesday night’s match. The midfielder suffered an injury during the international break and missed Spurs’ weekend match.
Despite winning 3-0 just before the international break, Inter have lost twice this term, including at the weekend to freshly promoted Parma. Inter have been held scoreless in two of their four league games. During the offseason, Inter signed midfielder Radja Nainggolan, forward Keita Balde, and Kwadwo Asamoah. Yet, the team has had difficulty gelling.
Both Inter and Tottenham find themselves in a group of death. Group B also includes Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven. Tuesday’s fixture is vital for both Inter and Tottenham as a win will set them up for possible progression. A loss for Spurs will be incredibly damaging as they play Barcelona in their second Champions League match.
Tuesday night’s fixture will be a cagey affair of two teams desperate to turnaround their early misfortunes on the domestic front. Inter will pull out a narrow victory thanks to playing at home. Inter captain and striker Mauro Icardi is yet to score this season. However, Tuesday’s match against Tottenham is the perfect time for the Argentine to get off the mark. Inter will win at home and doom Tottenham to a third straight loss in all competitions.