Inter is dreaming against the favourites

On March 13, 2012, Inter players were eliminated in the round of XNUMX of the Champions League by Olympique de Marseille. The French team advanced thanks to an away goal, and the "nerazuri" had to wait a whole decade, until now, to play again in the knockout phase of the elite European competition.

Ten years later, the away goal rule no longer applies, and Inter will welcome Liverpool, one of the main favorites for the cup, in the first match of the round of 21 tonight (XNUMX p.m.).

"The first step was to pass the group. We have fulfilled that goal. We deserved to play these games. Liverpool is one of the best European teams. They have a great coach, they are dangerous on the counterattack, their defenders do a great job. The favorites are on paper, but we are motivated," Inter coach Simone Inzagi said in the announcement of the match.

Liverpool played well without Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, and with the return of the two from the African Cup of Nations, the Reds won against Leicester and Burnley.

"With their return, we have more options, which we will try to use. For matches like this, we need freshness, and the team knows that we will not play every game in the same line-up", said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

The German praised tonight's rival.

"Inter is a team with top players and a top coach. They look good on the field, they are creative, they have great individual qualities", Klopp was full of praise.

The last, and so far the only time, Inter and Liverpool met in the Champions League in 2008. It was also the round of 1. Roberto Mancini, Englishman Rafael Benitez sat on the Italian bench. He celebrated Liverpool in both matches - 0:2 away, 0:XNUMX at home.

In tonight's second match, Salzburg hosts Bayern Munich. In a clash of teams that play with a similar, very offensive style, the Germans are the absolute favorites, even though four days ago, in the Bundesliga, they already received four pieces from Bochum by halftime.

"We know who we are playing against. Bayern is one of the best teams in the world. It is clear that we are outsiders. However, we want to be brave and impose our own style of play. It won't be easy, but we'll try. By placing in the knockout phase, we have already written the history of the club", said the coach of the Austrian champion, Matthias Jaisle.

The Bavarians will try to redeem themselves after the shocking defeat against Bochum.

"We are entering an exciting part of the season. Salzburg are ready to fight, which is a good sign. They play the knockout stage for the first time and do not shy away from the challenge. It will be a great evening in the Champions League," said the coach of the Munich giants, Julian Nagelsmann.

The return matches in Liverpool and Munich are on March 8.