Benfica will try today at the Estádio da Luz to open the way to the semifinals of the Champions League, in the duel with Inter Milan, in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the competition.
The only Portuguese team in the competition, Benfica seeks to guarantee a new presence in the semifinals of the main European club competition and the first in the ‘Champions’ era.
Benfica faces the “executioner” of FC Porto in Lisbon in the competition, days after having lost precisely against the “dragons” at home (2-1), for the I Liga, in which it was only the second defeat of the Roger Schmidt’s team throughout the season, the first at Estádio da Luz.
The current leader of the Portuguese championship, within the group of regular starters, will not be able to count on the Danish full-back Bah, who was injured precisely against FC Porto, and the Argentinian center-back Otamendi, suspended.
Benfica has never gone beyond the quarterfinals since, in 1992/93, the Champions League replaced the Champions Cup, now having a sixth chance ahead, after 1994/95, 2005/06, 2011/12, 2015/16 and 2021/22 have been removed.
Inter Milan, champion of Italy in 2020/21 and ‘runner-up’ in 2021/22, currently occupies fifth place in Serie A, in a season in which they have disappointed at the domestic level.
The match is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. and will be refereed by Englishman Michael Oliver.
Source: TSF
