Benfica and Inter will start their Champions League 2022/23 quarter-final series this Tuesday with the first leg at the Da Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal. The duel is scheduled at 16:00 (Argentine time) and will be broadcast live on ESPN, so it will also be available on digital platforms Star+, Flow, DGO and Telecentro Play.
In advance, the favorite to win, according to betting odds, is the local team with a maximum odds of 2.25. Their defeat, i.e. a victory of the visitor, pays up to 3.70. A draw pays 3.57.
- Champions League – Quarterfinals – First leg
- Day: Tuesday, April 11.
- Time: 16 (Argentina time).
- TV: ESPN.
Streaming: Star+, Flow, DGO and Telecentro Play.
The series pits two historic European clubs that, although they have not been protagonists of the most important continental championship for several years, yearn to return to the top and become champions. The Eagles have not been crowned since 1962 and are aiming to reach the semifinals after more than three decades – the last time was in the 1989/90 season. The Neroazzurro, on the other hand, have not reached the quarterfinals since 2010 and will be playing in the quarterfinals after 12 years.
Roger Schmidt’s team leads the Portuguese Primeira Liga with 71 points, seven more than Porto, with whom they lost the derby 2-1 in their last match. The coach, who was without Enzo Fernández in the middle of the season because he was sold to Chelsea, will not be able to count on Nicolás Otamendi because he has to serve a suspension for accumulation of yellow cards. The Spanish Alejandro Grimaldo will be available.
Simone Inzaghi, on the other hand, is without Hakim Calhanoglu, a key player in midfield, and Milan Skriniar. On the other hand, Lautaro Martinez will start and Romelu Lukaku is likely to join him. Joaquín Correa and Valentín Carboni are not in consideration to start. In their last match Inter drew with Salernitana 1-1 in Serie A, where they are fifth with 51 points and, far from the fight for the title, are aiming to enter the next Champions League.
The last time the two clubs met was on March 25, 20014 in the round of 16 of what is now called the Europa League. In San Ciro, Inter won the second leg of the series 4-3 and qualified for the next stage because in the first leg they drew 0-0. Javier Zanetti and Cristian ‘Kily’ González started for the Italian team.
How they reached the quarterfinals
Benfica surprised in the first stage because they shared zone H with Paris Saint Germain and Juventus and took the first place with 14 points after four wins and two draws. Lionel Messi’s club had the same number of points, but was relegated to second place. Thus, they were well positioned for the round of 16, where they faced Brugge of Belgium and defeated them 7-1 on aggregate, 2-0 away in the first leg and 5-1 home in the second leg.
Inter, on the other hand, made up Group C in the initial stage and finished second to Bayern Munich with 10 points thanks to three wins, one draw and two defeats, both against the Germans. To get into the top 16 clubs of the European championship, they had a head-to-head battle with Barcelona, which they beat 1-0 at home and drew 3-3 away. In the round of 16 they got rid of Porto, the other Portuguese giant, with a 1-0 win in the first game, which they held in the replay with a 0-0 draw.