Champions League: Potent Inter Milan Challenged by Young Guns

Real Sociedad vs Inter Milan

Europe’s biggest club competition is back! The opening game for Group D of the UEFA Champions League will be between Real Sociedad and Inter. They are set to face off at Reale Arena on Wednesday, September 20, where the Spanish squad will try to defend their home turf against the red-hot Internazionale.

Talking Points

Will Inter’s impressive form in Serie A be evident in the Champion’s League?

Inter has been unstoppable recently. They have never trailed in any of their Serie A fixtures so far this season and are currently sitting pretty atop the Serie A table with 12 points, two points above second-placed Juventus.

A prime example of their dominance was when they faced off against their neighbours AC Milan, in another derby at San Siro Stadium last Saturday.

Inter came into the derby with a flawless record, and AC Milan were their biggest challenge in the young season so far. The home club greeted the visiting Milan with a barrage of goals en route to an emphatic 5-1 victory. With this win, Inter have secured their fifth consecutive win in the Milan derby across all competitions.

“Last year, four derby wins brought us a [Coppa Italia] trophy and allowed us to play in a very important [Champions League] final,” coach Simone Inzaghi told a press conference.

They have yet to lift the Champions League trophy again since 2010, and the club has a historically horrific record when visiting Spanish clubs in the Champions League. But with their best start in recent history and facing a struggling Real Sociedad, this is Inter’s best chance to overcome their past and start their trek to become Europe’s best.

Kubo and Barrentxea carrying the load for La Real

It’s been a slow start for Real Sociedad in La Liga. The first five games for Sociedad have been shaky, as they tallied draws in all of their first three games but had a resurgence in their match against Granada. In that fixture, Imanol Alguacil’s squad netted five goals en route to a victory, garnering their first win of the season.

But they quickly came back to Earth after suffering a 2-1 loss against Real Madrid in their last outing.

Amid the disappointment brought by the club’s poor start, winger Takefusa Kubo and forward Ander Barrenetxea have been Sociedad’s bright spots. Both of these young studs have scored three goals apiece in five games.

In their loss against Real Madrid, Kubo and Barrenetxea had their names on almost all attempts for Real Sociedad and kept them competitive throughout the match. The Japanese star served the ball on a platter for Barrenetxea with his razor-sharp ball into the box, which produced the opening goal of the match.

It’s still early in the season, and La Real can most definitely turn things around. Behind Kubo and Barrenetxea, Sociedad hope to have a good start against Inter Milan and produce commendable Champion’s League 2023 results.

History

These two sides have only met in the 1979-80 UEFA Cup, where the Italian side won 3-2 on aggregate. Inter won their home game 3-0, while Real Sociedad won theirs 2-0.

Real Sociedad are winless in their last 12 matches in the competition since winning their first two UEFA Champions League games back in 2003.

Inter have a history of struggling in Champions League away games against Spanish teams. Inter have won just one out of their 13 away games against Spanish sides in the competition. They have tallied 10 losses, two draws, and one win.

In recent form, Real Sociedad have been struggling in La Liga, winning only one of their first five games. They are currently 11^th in the La Liga standings with just six points.

Internazionale, on the other hand, have been on fire. They ploughed their way to the top of the Serie A standings, winning all their matches so far.

In four games, they found the back of the net 13 times and only conceded one. They’ve scored at least two goals in each of their matches and have no signs of simmering down.

Betting Tip

Inter have been on a tear in Serie A. They’ve yet to concede a loss and have been firing on all cylinders. Their offence is in great form and has no signs of slowing down.

What’s dangerous about their offence is that goals can come from multiple players. Real Sociedad’s defence have their hands full on Thursday trying to stop Inter’s formidable attack.

Another SBOTOP Champions League 2023 odds line that I would recommend betting on is Inter 1X2 @ 2.38. Simone Inzaghi’s team is riding on immense momentum going into the match after surgically destroying their neighbours, AC Milan in a 5-1 victory.

 

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