In the first round of Champions League group stage fixtures this season, Inter Milan will travel to the Reale Arena on Wednesday to face Real Sociedad.
The away team reached the final of last season’s competition but fell short against Manchester City. On the other hand, Real Sociedad is making their first appearance in Europe’s premier tournament in 10 years.
Match Preview
After a decade away from the top European competition, Real Sociedad earned a spot in this season’s Champions League group stage by finishing fourth in La Liga last season with 71 points from 38 matches.
In addition to their league campaign, Real Sociedad also performed well in the Europa League last season, topping their group with 15 points and advancing to the round of 16.
They scored 10 goals and conceded only twice, winning five matches and suffering a single defeat against Manchester United.
However, they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Roma after a 2-0 defeat away in Italy and a goalless draw at home.
Real Sociedad has had a mixed start to the new season, managing just six points from their five La Liga matches. They started with three consecutive draws before securing a thrilling 5-3 victory over Granada.
In their most recent match, they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid, despite taking an early lead.
Real Sociedad will be eager to bounce back and secure a home victory as they return to Champions League action.
Their opponents, Inter Milan, enter the new Champions League campaign after narrowly missing out on winning the continental title last season.
They finished second in their group behind Bayern Munich and progressed to the round of 16, eliminating Porto and Benfica along the way.
In the semi-finals, they defeated rivals AC Milan to reach the final, where they ultimately lost 1-0 to Manchester City.
Inter Milan has had a perfect start to the new Italian campaign, winning all four of their matches and scoring 13 goals while conceding just once. Their most recent result was a dominant 5-1 victory over AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina.
With their impressive form and recent success, Inter Milan aims to start their Champions League journey with a win.
Real Sociedad Form (all competitions): DDDWL
Inter Milan Form (all competitions): WWWW
Team News
Real Sociedad will be without attacker Carlos Fernandez, who is serving a suspension following his red card in last season’s Europa League defeat to Roma. Summer signing Andre Silva and Martin Merquelanz are also sidelined due to injuries.
Real Sociedad is likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. Mikel Oyarzabal will lead the attack in the absence of Silva, supported by Takefusa Kubo and Ander Barrenetxea.
Martin Zubimendi, Brais Mendez, and Mikel Merino are expected to feature in midfield, while Robin Le Normand and Igor Zubeldia will form the center-back partnership. Arsenal loanee Kieran Tierney is set to start at left-back.
Inter Milan comes into the match with a fully fit squad, and coach Simone Inzaghi may opt for an unchanged starting lineup from their recent victory against AC Milan.
However, players like Marko Arnautovic, Davide Frattesi, and Stefan de Vrij are pushing for a place in the starting eleven.
Lautaro Martinez, who has already scored five goals in Serie A this season, including three in the Champions League, will lead Inter Milan’s attack.
Predicted Lineups:
Real Sociedad:
Remiro;
Traore, Le Normand, Zubeldia, Tierney;
Mendez, Zubimendi, Merino;
Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea.
Inter Milan:
Sommer;
Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni;
Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco;
Martinez, Thuram.
Prediction:
Real Sociedad 1-2 Inter Milan
Wednesday’s match is expected to be closely contested. Real Sociedad will look to make a positive start in their return to the Champions League, but Inter Milan’s experience and quality give them the edge. We predict a victory for Inter Milan in the opener.