Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Inter play host to Crvena Zvezda at their Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in round 2 of the new Champions League campaign. The Nerazzurri quickly bounced back from the Derby della Madonnina defeat, with the team beating Udinese on the road and they are seen as hot favourites to win Tuesday’s clash as well. The opposition back-line should have Lautaro Martinez at bay as the Argentina ace scored a brace in Udine, while both Nicolas Barella and Tajon Buchanan remain in the recovery room.
The Serbian champions, on the other hand, failed to impress in a 2-1 loss to Benfica in their opener and seeing that Inter have turned their “Meazza” into a real fortress, anything but a routine home win would be a big surprise. The fact that both Ognjen Mimovic and Mirko Ivanic miss out with injuries goes in favour of our earlier prediction. Goalkeeper Omri Glazer is a major doubt.
Highlighted Player (Hakan Calhanoglu):
Hakan Calhanoglu is another one in the long line of Turkish footballers who were born in Germany, so it is hardly surprising he came to prominence thanks to his performances in Bundesliga. The attacking midfielder with great vision and very good goalscoring record started his professional career at Karlsruher, scoring impressive 17 goals in 50 league outings to earn a move to Bundesliga side Hamburg.
The spell at Imtech Arena was merely a stepping stone for bigger things as 11 goals in his debut top flight campaign persuaded Bayer Leverkusen to splash nearly €15 million on his services. That proved a very good investment as Calhanoglu continued the rich vein of form, and it is now a matter of time before he joins one of European powerhouses.
The midfield maestro had a bright start to his career in the Turkey national team, scoring 5 goals in first 16 caps, and chances are he will become a leader for Milli Takim in the foreseeable future.
Highlighted Team (Crvena Zvezda):
Crvena Zvezda are the most famous club in Balkans. The Crveno-beli have 19 Yugoslav First League titles and have won eight domestic trophies since the breakup of Yugoslavia. Crvena Zvezda won their last league title in the 2015/2016 season, with the team finishing the campaign no less than 28 points clear of Partizan.
Speaking of Partizan, the Crno-beli are considered Crvena Zvezda’s bitterest rivals and the two teams meet in the “Eternal derby” (Veciti derbi). The capital club did well to win the European Cup title in 1991, with the team beating Olympique Marseile on penalties in the title game. That is considered the club’s biggest success, but it has to be noted that the Serbian club won the International Cup later in 1991. Crvena Zvezda outclassed Colo Colo of Chile (3-0) at National Stadium in Tokyo.
The likes of Dejan Savicevic, Vladimir Jugovic, Dragan Stojkovic, Dragoslav Sekularac, Rajko Mitic, Dusan Savic, Nemanja Vidic and Dejan Stankovic are some of the famous footballers who played for Crvena Zvezda in the past.