The Nerazzurri only need a draw to join AC Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals

After the 1-0 win three weeks ago, Inter Milan will take to the do Dragao to try and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2010/11 season when, after eliminating Bayern Munich in the round of 16 as defending champions, they were then defeated by Schalke 04.

Simone Inzaghi`s side need to simply avoid defeat thanks to Romelu Lukaku`s goal that decided the first leg match: the Belgian has scored eight goals in 12 games with Inter in the Champions League and, with a goal every 111 minutes, is the player with the best average among those who have scored at least five goals in the competition.

Inter would therefore go through with a win or a draw, while if a one-goal defeat came, the match would continue into extra time. The Nerazzurri will only be eliminated in the event of a defeat by two goals or more.

Lukaku`s goal left its mark on Porto: Sérgio Conceição`s boys, a player who made 65 appearances and scored three goals with Inter over two seasons (2001/03), lost in the league after the first leg, 2-1 at home against Gil Vicente, ending the game with just nine men. They then bounced back with two wins in a row, but still trail Benfica by eight points.

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This will be Inter’s third visit to Porto: the first game, in the first leg of the 2004-05 Champions League round of 16, ended 1-1, while in the most recent fixture the Portuguese won 2-0 in a group stage match in the 2005-06 Champions League.

Porto, who have lost three of their five matches against Inter Milan in the Champions League, are undefeated against the Nerazzurri at the Dragao (one win and one draw) and have won their last four home games in European competition against Italian sides, beating Roma, Juventus, AC Milan and Lazio in that order.

On six out of seven occasions, however, the Portuguese side has been eliminated from the Champions League after losing the first leg: the only exception being against Roma in 2018-19.

Inter have won only one of their last eight away matches in Portugal, with three draws and four defeats, but tonight even a draw would be a very good result for the Nerazzurri, putting their name into the hat for Friday`s draw in Nyon, along with the winner of the evening`s other tie: Manchester City vs. RB Leipzig (1-1 in the first leg).

(Photo LaPresse) 

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