Inter Milan surprised many football fans and pundits alike when they recorded a 2-0 victory in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg vs. Benfica last week.
A smart header from Nicolo Barella and a calm penalty from Romelu Lukaku proved enough to take the win in Lisbon and now Inter will return home for this second leg as they look to make the UCL semifinals for the first time since they won the competition back in 2009/10.
But Benfica will have different ideas and after having the best of the first leg in terms of both chances and possession, expect the Portuguese league leaders to come out on the front foot at San Siro.
For all your betting needs ahead of this huge Champions League quarterfinal second leg, The Sporting News has you covered.
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Inter vs Benfica odds
In relation to their opening leg 2-0 victory in Portugal last midweek, Inter Milan have been made sizeable favourites for this second leg with the bookmakers expecting them to reach the Champions League semifinals this season.
But consecutive 1-0 losses at San Siro to Juventus, Fiorentina and Monza highlight a worrying trend that Inter have developed where they find it tough to score on home soil.
It's also important to remember that in the Champions League this campaign Inter have rode their luck at times, beating out Porto 1-0 over two legs in the last round despite largely being under pressure for most of the tie.
That too was again evident in the first leg this time around vs Benfica, who should have found a goal but again fell toothless infant of goal. Granted, Inter helped with some heroic defending at times but in this match, that same defence could buckle under intense pressure at the worst possible time.
| INT win |
Draw | BEN win |
Both teams to score Y / N |
Over / Under 2.5 goals |
INT -0.5 |
BEN +0.5 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) |
+105 | +250 | +260 | -130/-108 | -114/-122 | +115 | -139 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) |
2.06 | 3.36 | 3.36 | 1.68/1.94 | 1.87/1.83 | 2.05 | 1.72 |
| SkyBet (UK) |
21/20 | 11/4 | 23/10 | 8/11 - 1/1 | 10/11 - 4/5 | — | — |
| Neds (Australia) |
2.05 | 3.40 | 3.50 | 1.70/2.05 | 1.88/1.85 | — | — |
| Dafabet (India) |
2.07 | 3.45 | 3.37 | 1.75/2.00 | 1.93/1.87 | 2.03 | 1.71 |
Inter vs Benfica: Three things to know
Inter vs Benfica match facts
- Date: Wednesday April 19
- Kickoff time: 20:00 p.m (BST) | 15:00 p.m (ET) | 05:00 a.m (AEST on Thurs, April 20)
- Location: San Siro (Milan, Italy)
- Official:
- Last meeting: Benfica 0-2 Inter Milan (Champions League QF first leg - April 11 2023)
Inter vs Benfica team news
Stefan de Vrij is only on the bench for Inter after going off hurt in Saturday's disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Monza. Fellow centre-back Milan Skriniar is out of action. The Nerazzurri have no suspensions, but Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez are all one booking away from suspension.
Julian Draxler, Alexander Bah and Mihailo Ristic are still absent for Benfica, who welcome back Nicolas Otamendi following his suspension for the first leg. Goncalo Ramos, Florentino and Joao Mario are all walking a disciplinary tightrope if Benfica can pull off the comeback.
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Inter vs Benfica prediction
- Moneyline lean: Benfica (+260)
- Against the spread lean: Benfica +0.5 (-139)
- Score prediction: Inter Milan 1-2 Benfica
As mentioned before, Inter have struggled of late on home soil and we're expecting Benfica to turn up at San Siro and really give this second leg a go.
Ultimately we're backing the Italian side to reach the Champions League semifinal on aggregate but we also fancy Benfica to win the second leg which at +260 with BetMGM offers very good value.
The visitors may have gone down 2-0 in the first leg but they still hold the ability to score goals aplenty when needed. They've netted 68 times through just 27 Portuguese league matches and in the Champions League they've struck 35 times across 13 outings.
As such and with the shackles off here as they have to go for the victory, we just can't see them blanking again.
Inter vs Benfica best bet
- Pick: Over 2.5 goals
- Odds: -114 (BetMGM)
If you want my reasoning for selecting the over 2.5 goals scored bet here at -114 with BetMGM, then just look up.
In essence, Benfica remain in free-scoring form despite blanking during their first leg against Inter Milan, whilst the hosts have struggled defensively of late at home.
On top of that, this second leg should be a wide open match given the circumstances. Therefore Inter may well grab a couple of goals on the counter-attack especially as the game wears on and Benfica push more and more for that semifinal spot.
Inter vs Benfica flier bet
- Pick: Gonçalo Ramos to score anytime
- Odds: +230 (BetMGM)
Seemingly the next world class talent off of the Benfica production line, Goncalo Ramos is having a season to remember for the Portuguese league leaders this season.
Not only has he hit 25 goals overall this campaign across 39 appearances but he's also added 11 assists to that output as he remains one of the most talented young forwards in Europe.
In the Champions League in particular, Ramos has shone. Starting his goalscoring in the qualifying rounds, the 21-year-old has hit seven goals in the competition this season, a tally only bettered by Erling Haaland (11) and Mo Salah (8).
It must be mentioned that Ramos has failed to find the net in both of his last two outings but no need to worry as in 2023, only once has he gone three matches without a goal and even then he only lasted 45, 57 and 64 minutes respectively due to injury.