UEFA Champions League – Match Preview: Inter Milan versus Tottenham Hotspurs
Inter Milan take on Tottenham Hotspurs in what is scheduled to be their third group stage match of the season. It has been an eventful European adventure for Tottenham so far as they have made their debut in the UEFA Champions
League this season after qualifying for European football by finishing fourth in the English Premier League in the 2009-2010 season.
Inter on the other hand won the Italian league last season. Not only that; under Jose Mourinho, they also did amazingly well in the UEFA Champions League as they defeated Bayern Munich in the final match of the tournament by two
goals to nil to lift the Champions League crown. Inter have seen a change in management over the summer as Jose Mourinho parted ways with the club to join Real Madrid. Inter Milan have replaced Jose with Liverpool’s ex-manager Rafael Benitez and thus Inter
have done quite satisfactorily in Europe so far.
Inter Milan got their European cup defence off with a draw against FC Twente Enschede, the Italian giants drew with the Swiss club side in Switzerland in the opening group stage encounter as the match ended with the score line
at two all. It was an eventful match in which Inter’s defence looked lost and especially fragile at times. Regardless, the European champions were able to escape with a point. In their second group stage match of the UEFA Champions League season, Inter Milan
showed their true quality at the San Siro stadium as they battered the German club side Werder Bremen by four goals to nil.
Samuel Eto was the star of the show against Bremen as he netted two goals to put the match out of the reach of the former German champions. In Serie A, Inter Milan won their latest match on the weekend by defeating Cagliari Calcio
on their travels. It was a tactical victory for Rafael Benitez’s team who won the goal by just a singular goal. Alternatively, Tottenham have been on fire as well. They kicked off their debut season in the UEFA Champions League by drawing two all against Bremen.
A match that the Hotspurs should have won in all honesty as they took a two goal lead early on but then failed to sustain their dominance as Bremen sneaked back into the match to salvage a draw.
In their second group stage match, Tottenham faced FC Twente Enschede at the White Hart Lane stadium. Harry Redknapp’s boys gave a another comprehensive account of themselves as they defeated FC Twente by four goals to one and
in doing so they have thus far gained four points from two matches in the UEFA Champions’ League group stages. Tottenham also won their last league encounter in the English Premier League as they defeated Fulham at the Craven Cottage by two goals to one in
a controversial London derby matchup.
Moreover, Inter Milan have gained the same number of points but they lead the group due to their superior goal difference of positive four as compared to Tottenham’s goal difference of positive three. Inter will no doubt look towards
their top goal scorer this season, the former Barcelona player Samuel Eto to net another goal or two against Tottenham. The striker has been on a brilliant run of form this season as he has already scored ten goals since the season started in late August whereas
Tottenham will be pinning their hopes of Peter Crouch as the English national team striker has scored four in all competitions for Hotspurs this season.
Inter have plenty of European experience whilst Tottenham are still amateurs when it comes to European football. If one takes into that account along with the fact that the match is taking place at the San Siro stadium which is
indeed Inter’s home ground, it seems more probable that Inter Milan will get all three points from this encounter. Nonetheless, Tottenham are equally capable of giving Inter a fright as they have got some quality players such as Modric and Van Der Vaart in
their line up. All remains to be seen as the kick off takes place on 20th of October, 2010.
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