The Champions League is starting this week and football fans around the world could barely wait for the competition to be back. After Chelsea won the final against their compatriots Manchester City in May of this year, the best teams around the continent were anxious to get that title from the English team. Two of those teams are in the same group and they will be meeting this Wednesday at the San Siro. Of course, it will be 13-time champions Real Madrid meeting the Italian giants Inter Milan.
It will be deja-vu for the teams, as they met in the group stages last year as well. In the two games played, Madrid dominated and took the six points, but it was not easy. In the game at the Santiago Bernabeu, it was the youngster Rodrygo that was the difference, while in Milan, Real Madrid won a bit more comfortably, taking home a 2-0 win away from home.
This year, the story might be different, so here are three bold predictions for the upcoming UEFA Champions League classic.
Inter midfield will outshine the Madrid midfield
For a very long time, Real Madrid had the arguably best midfield in the world. Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric, supported by Brazilian tank Casemiro and the German sniper Toni Kroos, completely dominated every midfield in the world. Now, the midfield is somewhat revamped, with youngsters Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga poised to keep the legacy going in the future. However, Inter won the Serie A last year powered by not only Romelu Lukaku's goal-scoring ability, but also the quality of their midfield.
Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, and new addition Hakan Calhanoglu are already making a case to absolutely dominate the opposition. Even better for Inter fans, their bench is also stacked, with Stefano Sensi, Matias Vecino, and veteran Arturo Vidal waiting for any chance to prove themselves. While Real Madrid still has a respectable midfield, even with Kroos out due to injury, it just seems like the youthfulness and quality in the Inter middle will overpower them, at least in this game.
They will need to find a way to deal with Valverde's runs and to find a way around the ball-winning prowess of Casemiro, but they can do it. If the games Madrid had against Chelsea last year in the semi-finals are any indication, as long as more effort is shown, the Inter boys will have no problems controlling the game.
Real Madrid defense will show their worth
The general opinion around the footballing world was that losing Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos will seriously impact Madrid's defense for the future. However, Nacho Fernandez and Eder Militao have shown to be incredible substitutes, having already spent a lot of time at the end of last season playing together. Aided by new signing David Alaba and Dani Carvajal, who is returning from a series of injuries, the center-back pairing has had good moments, both this season and especially last season.
Nacho is a Real Madrid stalwart, joining the club as a kid over 10 years ago, while Militao was an often criticized signing from Porto, who played his way into being a fan favorite at the end of last season. The reason why these center-backs work so well together is simple – both are somewhat prototypes of the players who left in the last transfer window.
It would be untrue to say that Nacho is Ramos-like in quality, but their playstyles are very similar, with both being no-nonsense center-backs willing to put their body on the line to stop an attack. Additionally, both Ramos and Nacho like to take forward runs and help the organization of the attack.
On the other hand, Militao is very similar to Varane in the sense of both being fast, ball-playing defenders that need a stable presence next to them. Varane had many issues playing without Ramos last year and Militao was similar, making many mistakes playing with Varane. However, both looked great when Ramos or Nacho were next to them, and that is why Nacho and Militao work so well together. The Champions League game against Inter is a perfect opportunity for the whole Real Madrid defense to dominate and keep a clean sheet.
One goal will decide the game
While both Edin Dzeko and Karim Benzema are absolutely class forwards, this game will not be decided in the attacking end, but rather in the midfield. Every sign is pointing that this will be a tight game, due to the world-class midfielders fighting for control and the defenses being fairly strong. Real Madrid has Militao and Nacho, but Inter also has a stone wall in front of Handanovic, with young phenom Milan Skriniar and Dutch veteran Stefan De Vrij.
Now, it needs to be said that the attacking lines of both teams are truly great. Dzeko is a savvy veteran, with massive experience from Germany with Wolfsburg and England with Manchester City, along with a very successful spell in Roma before joining Inter this summer. He is supported by superstar Lautaro Martinez and sensation Joaquin Correa, who introduced himself to the Inter faithful with two goals against Hellas Verona. They are very good players and can always score, from absolutely any position in the final third.
On the other hand, obviously, the trio of Eden Hazard-Benzema-Gareth Bale can produce goals as well. The Belgian is having a comeback season after two years filled with injuries, while Bale is trying to find some of the magic he had before injuries and off-the-pitch issues he had. Benzema is one of the best forwards in the world and has been absolutely tearing it up for Real Madrid in the last three seasons.
All of this is true, of course, but it still feels like it will be a tight game. This clash has the potential to be an absolute Champions League classic and all the neutrals will be hoping for a great game. When it comes to fans of these two European giants, they will be hoping for the stars of their teams to show up in a big way, under the biggest spotlight in continental football.
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