Italian giants Inter Milan will host Austrian club FC Salzburg on Wednesday in the Champions League group stage. Inter are riding momentum after defeating Benfica in their last European match despite not scoring. Meanwhile, Salzburg is looking to rebound after a rare scoreless outing against Real Sociedad.

With two Champions League giants facing off, this should be an exciting contest! Inter has the home advantage. But Salzburg came into this on a high after their last win. It's impossible to predict who'll come out on top.

One thing we can be sure of - with both teams desperate to make their mark in Europe this season, they'll be going all out for victory! Expect an action-packed match between two of the continent's heavyweights.

Inter Milan vs Salzburg

The much-anticipated match will take place on Tuesday, October 24th, 2023, at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Scraping By With a Gritty Win

In their last Champions League game, Inter Milan didn't play great but managed to beat Portuguese club Benfica 1-0 at home. Inter defended hard and their keeper Andre Onana played excellently to help them grind out the win. They showed they could win ugly.

Lucky to Escape With a Point

For most of their last Champions League match against Real Sociedad, Inter looked sloppy and just wasn't playing well at all. They hardly attacked and made lots of mistakes in possession.

Inter were lucky their substitute Lautaro Martinez scored late to tie the game 1-1. Overall, Inter was pretty bad in this match and was fortunate to get even 1 point from it.

Losing Control in Midfield

Inter struggled to take charge of the match from the center of midfield. Their midfield pair of Asllani and Barella lost the ball too easily against Sociedad's aggressive pressure.

Too many times Inter gave the ball away cheaply in midfield areas. Regaining stability and control in midfield is important for them moving forward.

Toothless Attack Without Spark

Even with great forwards like Lukaku and Dzeko, Inter barely created any scoring chances against Sociedad until their late equalizing goal. The strikers didn't get good service.

Aside from Martinez's late strike, Inter shockingly didn't have a single shot on target the entire match. For a talented attacking team like Inter, such a toothless 

display is unacceptable.

Refusing to Quit Until the End

Even when Sociedad hit the crossbar late on, Inter kept fighting when all seemed lost. Down so late, many teams would throw in the towel but not this Inter squad.

As they've shown before under coach Conte, these Inter players never give up! Their awesome never-say-die spirit paid off hugely when Martinez equalized at the death.

Flying High in Serie A

In Italy's Serie A league lately, Inter Milan has been on fire, winning their last 4 matches in a row. This red-hot streak has shot them up to 4th place in the Serie A table. They've scored 13 goals during this victorious run.

Lautaro Must Deliver in Europe

Inter count on striker Lautaro Martinez for goals. He's been sensational, netting an incredible 10 goals already in his first 8 Serie A games this season.

But Lautaro is yet to score in the Champions League. Unlocking European defenses is the next task for Inter's key marksman.

So in Europe, Inter has been grinding out results despite some poor performances. But in Italy, they're playing like title contenders again!

Sending a Message By Beating Benfica

By going to Portugal and beating a very strong team like Benfica in their stadium, Salzburg proved they could compete with the best clubs in Europe.

Winning with great defending and clinical finishing shows Salzburg is no pushover in the Champions League. This season will be one for Salzburg to remember no matter what because just making it this far is a huge accomplishment.

Shocking Benfica With a Dream Start

Facing a giant club like Benfica seemed scary for Salzburg's young team. But they jumped ahead 3-0 right away after the referee awarded them 3 penalties and sent off a Benfica player in the first 15 minutes!

Even after missing a couple of penalties at first, Salzburg kept their composure. Young Roko Simic slammed home the third penalty to give them a miracle lead. What a start!

Staying Organized to Frustrate Benfica

Manager Matthias Jaissle probably would have been happy just keeping the game close against powerhouse Benfica before the match.

But his Salzburg squad did way more than contain Benfica. They played a tactically smart game with tons of maturity to frustrate Benfica all match. Great coaching and execution!

Taking Their Chances to Double the Lead

While Benfica missed lots of chances, Salzburg scored again on one of their few openings. Adamu's intelligent run set up fellow sub Adamu to slot home calmly and make it 2-0.

With Benfica's attacks lacking conviction, Salzburg's clinical finishing was the difference. They did the little things right at both ends of the field to pull off the upset.

Predicted Lineups

Inter Milan: Yann Sommer, F. Acerbi, A. Bastoni, B. Pavard, F. Dimarco, N. Barella, H. Calhanoglu, H. Mkhitaryan, D. Dumfries, L. Martinez, M. Thuram

Red Bull Salzburg: A. Schlager, A. Terzic, Oumar Solet, S. Pavlovic, Amar Dedic, L. Gourna-Death, M. Kjaergaard, M. Bidstrup, Oscar Gloukh, Karim Konate, Roko Simic

Key Battles

Škriniar vs. Simic

Inter center back Milan Škriniar excels at shutting down opposing attackers with his physicality and positioning. He'll likely be tasked with limiting Simic, who is crafty but lacks elite speed. Škriniar's containment skills should be tested.

Barella vs. Seiwald

In midfield, Inter's Barella goes up against Salzburg's Nicolas Seiwald. Both are deft distributors capable of dictating the tempo. Winning the possession battle in the middle will be vital.

Lautaro Martínez vs. Pavlović

Up front, Inter hitman Lautaro Martínez will try to get behind Salzburg's center-back duo of Strahinja Pavlović and Oumar Solet. With his quickness and finishing ability, Lautaro could expose an inexperienced CB pairing.

Conclusion

While Inter Milan is riding momentum, FC Salzburg are trying to rediscover their offensive spark in the Champions League. Inter's defense led by Škriniar presents a stiff test for Salzburg forwards like Okafor. Key midfield and defensive battles will likely decide if Inter's home dominance continues.