Inter Milan vs Salzburg preview, team news, tickets & prediction

Inter Milan made a solid start to the new league season, and the same can be said of this match day three visitors – RB Salzburg. The Austrians have been excellent in the season’s early stages, and it seems they are keen to make an impression in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Inter Milan have been magnificent this season. The Milan side, who had maintained an impressive 100% percent record, eventually lost to Sassuolo at the San Siro on match day six – the last side to taste defeat in the Serie A this season. Meanwhile, the Nerazzuri began the season with a routine 2-0 win over Monza at the San Siro before another comfortable win against Cagliari in the second league game. 

Inter Milan showed class after the international break as they thumped Fiorentina 4-0 in their biggest performance of the season. Skipper Lautaro Martinez scored twice, while summer signing Marcus Thuram also got a goal in the one-sided contest at the San Siro. Milan were the next guests in the first Milan derby of the year, and Simeone Inzaghi’s men prevailed with ease. It was an annihilation at the San Siro, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Thuram, the architects of the 5-1 win. 

Inter found a way to avoid a first defeat of the season when they faced Real Sociedad in their UEFA Champions League opener. Lautaro Martinez scored a late equalizer in a game his side dominated. Another hard-fought 1-0 win over Empoli followed upon their return to the Serie A. Federico Dimarco scored the game’s only goal to help Inter stay on top.

Inter has gone through a lot of changes in the summer, but they have still remained competitive. The home defeat to Sassuolo is a wake-up call, and they will try to recover and start competing again.

On the other hand, Salzburg have also maintained a great level of consistency in their games this season. The Austrian side has been dominant in the league after eight rounds of games. Die Roten Bullen racked up several wins as the season got underway, with Hartberg, Rapid Vienna, Sturm Graz, and Co all falling by the way.

The defending champions dropped points for the first time when they were beaten at home by BW Linz. That was their first defeat of the season, and it came just days after they opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over Benfica away from home. Rooney Simic and teenage sensation Oscar Gloukh got the goals in Portugal. Salzburg continued to forge ahead in the Austrian Cup against Austria Salzburg and they’re looking good to keep a good run of form. 

Based on last season’s run, Inter Milan is one of the outside favorites to win the UEFA Champions League, and they are expected to top this group. On the part of Salzburg, it is their fifth consecutive campaign in the group stages of the elite competition, and they are beginning to find their feet.

Inter defeated Die Roten Bullen to win the Europa League (then UEFA Cup) back in 1994, and they have not met in any competitive game since then. The Italians claimed the wins in the friendlies played, indicating their dominance over the Austrians.

Inter’s Martinez has started the season strongly, with several goals and assists already.  He could make a huge difference here like he did on match day one. Thuram is another name for Inter Milan who could steal the headlines.

Match tickets

The epic match at San Siro in Milan kicks off on Tuesday, 24th September, at 5 PM UK time, and it will be shown live on TNT Sports, with coverage starting from around 5:45 PM.

Everything about the UEFA Champions League is remarkable, and it will be the first elite European game in San Siro since their loss to Manchester City in last season’s final. Expect Inter Milan fans, buoyed by their current form, to troop out in their numbers to support their side in this game and a pocket of Salzburg fans here, too.

Getting tickets for Inter Milan vs Salzburg tickets could take a lot of work, given the peculiarity of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club’s channels. 

Team news

Line-ups

Inter has no major injury concerns going into this UEFA Champions League game. Juan Cuadrado and Stefano Sensei remain sidelined. Marko Arnautovic should be back for this game, too.

Inter Milan: Sommer; Bastoni, Acerbi, Darmian; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez.

Salzburg have a long list of players missing for a while now. Diambou, Fernando, Guindo Okon, and Omoregie are all nursing varying degrees of injuries, while Wallner and Yeo have been sidelined with separate ankle injuries. 

Salzburg: Schlager; Dedic, Pavlovic, Baidoo, Terzic; Kjaergaard, Courna-Douath, Bidstrup, Gloukh; Simic, Konate.

Prediction

Inter Milan can bank on their strong home form going into this clash. Although they lost to Sassuolo in September,  the Nerazzurri have already beaten Milan and Fiorentina there, which shows how good they have been. 

Salzburg have equally been strong this campaign, and they went ahead to claim a win over Benfica away from home. The Italians are a different team entirely in this competition, and it would be difficult to leave San Siro with all three points.

Regarding the potential goalscorers, Martinez is the first name on the list for Inter, while Karim Konate has been doing it for Salzburg this campaign. 

Inter Milan 2-1 Salzburg