Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Inter will look to overtake Real Sociedad in top position in Group D when they welcome Salzburg to their Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Tuesday. The Nerazzurri rolled over Torino 3-0 in their last Serie A game, meaning that they are brimming with confidence ahead of the visit of Salzburg. The opposition back-line should have Lautaro Martinez at bay as the Argentina star has been scoring goals for fun of late. Wing-back Denzel Dumfries is pushing for a start, while both Marko Arnautovic and Juan Cuadrado continue to miss out with injuries.
The Red Bulls, on the other hand, suffered a heart-breaking loss to LASK at the weekend and seeing that Inter have turned “Meazza” into a real fortress, home win should be considered. All Fernando, Koita, Omoregie, and Wallner are out of contention with injuries, while both Guindo and Okoh are 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 (Salzburg):
Salzburg are a professional football club that compete in Austrian Bundesliga. The club’s main sponsors are Red Bull and, as a result, they are well known under the name of the Red Bulls. The club was founded on 13 September, 1933 and they won their first Austrian Bundesliga trophy in 1994.
Salzburg quickly established themselves as the dominant force in the national championship and they are the most successful Austrian club in the 21st century. It has to be noted that they won their tenth Austrian Premier League trophy in 2016, finishing the season nine points clear of second-placed Rapid Wien.
The Red Bulls welcome their rivals at Red Bull Arena, the stadium that was opened on 8 March, 2008. The capacity of the venue is 31 895. Salzburg participated in the 1993/1994 UEFA Cup final, but Italian side proved to be a big catch for the Austrian outfit. Inter recorded a 2-0 win over Salzburg in the final (on aggregate).