Inter vs Benfica: UCL Quarterfinals, 2nd Leg Match Preview, Predicted Line-ups and Fantasy XI

Inter vs Benfica in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final tie looking to preserve the 2-0 advantage they earned in the first leg.

Match Details:

• Location: Milan, Italy
• Stadium: San Siro
• Date: Wednesday 19 April
• Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
• Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (ESP)
• VAR: Juan Martínez Munuera (ESP)

Inter vs Benfica: Match Preview

Inter Milan will be confident of making it through to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009-10, when they eventually won the competition under José Mourinho. With a 2-0 lead heading into the home leg of this quarter-final, coach Simone Inzaghi could be the first Italian to lead Inter to the semi-finals of the competition since Eugenio Bersellini in 1980-81.

Benfica will have to do something they've never done before to stand any chance of making the final four of the UCL this season: beat Inter. After the first leg, Benfica are winless in all four of their European competitive meetings with the Serie A side (L3 D1) and have failed to score in three of them.

Bastoni's brilliant display in Portugal, touch by touch 👟#ForzaInter #UCL

— Inter (@Inter_en) April 17, 2023

History suggests it will be a tough ask for Benfica to turn this tie around. Inter Milan have never lost a two-legged European knockout tie having won the first leg by two or more goals, with the first leg of this tie being the ninth occasion that they've done it. Benfica have only ever turned around a European tie after losing the first leg by two or more goals on one occasion – eliminating FC Nürnberg at the quarter-final stage in 1961-62 despite losing the first leg 3-1 before winning the second leg 6-0.

🗣️ Roger Schmidt na antevisão ao Inter-Benfica: "Eu acredito sempre na minha equipa."#FCIMSLB • #UCL pic.twitter.com/EStq77xduU

— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) April 18, 2023

Benfica are aiming to become just the third Portuguese club to make the UCL semi-finals, after FC Porto in 1993-94 and again in 2003-04. The 2004 edition of Porto went on to win the trophy that season.

Team News:

Inter:

Injuries to Inter centre backs Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij mean the back three defence of Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni should be deployed.

Excitement's building for #InterBenfica 😃 🔥#ForzaInter #UCL pic.twitter.com/6V2xEmbL9r

— Inter (@Inter_en) April 18, 2023

Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez may start up front for Simone Inzaghi's side ahead of Lukaku, who scored in the first leg.

Benfica:

Nicolas Otamendi was banned for the first leg through suspension and will come back into the starting XI in Europe, having played at the weekend.

🌡️ Algumas 📸 do aquecimento!#GDCSLB • #LigaPortugal pic.twitter.com/CVOZf1NbzO

— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) April 15, 2023

Julian Draxler, who has scored once in ten league appearances for Benfica this season, is absent due to injury alongside Mihailo Ristic and Alexander Bah.

Inter vs Benfica: Head to Head:

• Inter Milan are unbeaten in all four of their matches against Benfica in all competitions and have kept clean sheets in three of these matches.
• Prior to their victory against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium this season, Benfica were winless in all six of their games away from home against Italian opponents in European competitions.
• The previous meeting between the two teams at the San Siro took place in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup in 2004 and ended in a 4-3 victory for Inter Milan.

Predicted Line -ups:

Inter predicted lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Dzeko, Martinez.

Benfica predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo; Florentino, Chiquinho; Mario, Rafa, Aursnes; Ramos

IM vs FCB: Fantasy XI

Onana, Otamendi, Acerbi, Bastoni; Barella, Brozovic, Florentino, Dzeko, Martinez, Rafa, Ramos