Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan

Allianz Arena is the venue as Bayern Munich and Inter Milan go head-to-head in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Bayern Munich took another massive step toward regaining Bundesliga supremacy with a 3-1 win at Augsburg last weekend, maintaining a six-point cushion at the table’s summit and a feel-good factor around the home camp. Heading into proceedings as pre-match favorites, Vincent Kompany’s men boast a formidable run of 22 consecutive Champions League home outings without losing (W17, D5). Ominously, their last home loss in this competition came in a quarter-final first leg in 2021 against Paris Saint-Germain. However, the Bavarians have won 62% of their Champions League last-16 ties (W21, L13), including an aggregate triumph against Arsenal last season. Yet, it’s worth noting they had lost three previous quarter-finals on the trot. 

Meanwhile, Inter Milan’s Serie A title defense took a hit last weekend as Parma held them to a 2-2 draw, knocking them down from a three-game winning league streak. However, Simone Inzaghi could still lead ‘I Nerazzurri’ to their first ‘treble’ since 2010, with the Italians firmly in contention for two domestic titles. No stranger to high-profile games against German opposition, Inzaghi’s men tackled two Bundesliga clubs in this season’s league stage (W1, L1). A narrow 1-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen in December added to Inter’s torrid away record against such opposition (W6, D8, L9). That hardly bodes well for the visitors’ bid to defy an underwhelming return of four defeats from four previous quarter-final appearances in this tournament. Worryingly, Inzaghi has lost all four managerial H2Hs against Bayern Munich, with his sides conceding 2+ goals on each occasion.