Borussia Dortmund vs Inter Milan
After seven rounds of Euro league football we’re about to enter the knockout stage and there are a host of teams looking for an automatic place, with Champions League: Dortmund vs Inter Milan showcasing two of the big players.
Christian Chivu’s Inter Milan sit in 14th place, on 12 points but only a single point behind Paris Saint-Germain in sixth and Niko Kovac’s Borussia Dortmund are a point back in 16th. But with so many teams in front of these two in the race for a top eight place the odds are against them, though it is not impossible for one of BVB or Inter to sneak in. In any case, they will both be keen to have a seeded play-off place and that makes this clash a winner-takes-all bout.
Last time out in Europe they each had a bad night against a north London side as BVB fell to a 2-0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur while Inter Milan were humbled 3-1 at home by Premier League leaders Arsenal. But both teams responded well and come into the match on the back of a thumping domestic victory as Dortmund won 3-0 away to FC Union Berlin while Inter hammered Pisa 6-2 to stretch their lead at the top of Serie A to five points.
Talking Points
Kovac’s Dortmund are on the march
Die Schwarzgelben’s 3-0 win away to Union Berlin closed the gap at the top of the Bundesliga table to eight points as Bayern Munich lost their first game of the campaign; and BVB have established themselves clearly as Germany’s second best club as we speak. Dortmund backed up wins over Werder Bremen and St Pauli with that comfortable victory away Union Berlin. And Kovac has plenty of players who are bang in form, no more so that towering centre back Nico Schlotterbeck who has been dominant at the back as well as a threat up front, scoring against both Werder Bremen and Union Berlin.
The 26-year-old has earned rave reviews in recent weeks and against Berlin he was imperious, making nine clearances and winning six duels as he kept the hosts at bay, capping off his display with a second-half header to make it 2-0 after captain Emre Can opened the scoring with his second goal in two games. 23-year-old striker Max Beier scored the third and he was handful throughout, alongside the powerful Serhou Guirassy, while young midfielder Jobe Bellingham impressed again.
The latest Dortmund vs Inter Milan betting odds slightly favour the Italians but Kovac’s men have some decent momentum, and are getting back to their best.
Inter aim to stop their Euro slide
While they too are thriving in their domestic league I Nerazzurri’s Champions League woes have been fairly recent as, when December first came into view Chivu’s men had won four from four. But then a 2-1 reversal against Atletico Madrid started the rot. The Serie A league leaders then lost 1-0 to an out-of-form Liverpool and then Inter failed to end Arsenal’s 100 per cent record; in fact they were well beaten by the Gunners, a result which leaves them needing to win in Dortmund to keep their automatic qualification chances alive.
In the pre-match Dortmund vs Inter Milan news it seems there will be a return to the Signal Iduna Park for Inter Milan defender Manuel Akanji, currently on loan from Manchester City. The 30-year-old Swiss star made his name as a BVB player before he moved to Manchester, scoring four goals in 119 appearances in the Bundesliga. And there may be a place for another former Dortmund player as midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is pushing for a place after he put in a fine performance in Inter’s win over Pisa. Piotr Zielinski put in another strong showing, scoring a first-half penalty, and he will make a start behind a front two of Marcus Thuram and skipper Lautaro Martinez as Inter go for the win.
History
These two teams have met twice before and both won their home fixture in the 2019 Champions League bout. Inter won the Italy clash 2-0 before BVB edged a five-goal thriller at the Signal Iduna Park.
In terms of recent form Dortmund have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six games in all competitions, as have Inter Milan; both teams unbeaten in their domestic competitions but they each fell in Europe last week.
Betting Tip
I Nerazzurri are the SBOTOP favourites to win this clash at odds of 2.40 with the draw at 3.40; and there’s a good case for either outcome, but I’m backing the hosts who are in great shape and will have the legendary Yellow Wall roaring them on.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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