Inter return to San Siro with the first points of their Champions League campaign already carrying weight. The defeat at Real Madrid on the opening night left Cristian Chivu’s side with encouragement from their performance but nothing on the table; Club Brugge arrive in Milan in the same position after losing to Aston Villa.
The coach and the club
For Chivu, the second League Phase fixture is an early test of Inter’s ability to turn ambition into results in Europe. On the eve of the match, the coach called on his players to retain the courage to dream in the competition.
Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta set out the club’s expectation before kick-off: Inter must collect points after leaving Madrid empty-handed despite playing well. He said the team have to begin strongly, particularly at home, and that the club are obliged to give everything in the Champions League and compete as far as possible.
Marotta also addressed the stadium project. Building a privately owned ground alone, he said, would have been extremely difficult because of the challenges in identifying a suitable site. A joint project with Milan represents a partnership that could benefit both clubs, while any move to a new stadium would still mean playing in the San Siro area.
A European evening at San Siro
The match at the Giuseppe Meazza, scheduled for a 21:00 kick-off, brings together two teams seeking their first League Phase points. The appointed refereeing team will oversee the contest in Milan.
Earlier in the day, Inter’s youth side drew with their Brugge counterparts in the Youth League, leaving the senior teams to take over the evening programme.
Brugge forward Nicolò Tresoldi has an especially personal occasion ahead of him. A Milan supporter, he described facing Inter at San Siro as being like a derby. Playing at the stadium had always been a dream, he said, and doing so against Inter makes the opportunity still more meaningful; his aim is to enjoy every minute on the pitch.
The teams
Chivu selected Josep Martínez in goal behind a back three of Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni. Andy Diouf and Federico Dimarco occupy the wide roles, with Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Piotr Zieliński in midfield. Marcus Thuram joins Lautaro Martínez in attack.
Inter’s substitutes are Provedel, Di Gennaro, Pavard, Bovio, Carlos Augusto, Spence, Luis Henrique, Stankovic, Sucic, Mkhitaryan, Bonny and P. Esposito.
Brugge coach Ivan Leko named Sommer; Sabbe, Mechele, Spileers and Seys; Vetlesen, Potts, Carlos Forbs, Vanaken and Jan Virgili; with Tresoldi leading the line. His bench includes Jackers, Lee Han-Beom, Dams, Siquet, Tsawa, Lemarechal, Nai Koren, Diakhon and Vermant.
