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These are the best picks for Inter-Atlético clash
The bookmakers are expecting a lot of cards, but it’s not a sure thing.
There was no doubt beforehand that Inter-Atlético was one of the most anticipated Champions League derbies, with the two teams perhaps the closest in terms of odds. In the first week, Manchester City, Real Madrid and PSG all virtually decided the tie, but there is little chance of that happening in Tuesday night’s encounter between the Italian and Spanish sides.
Although Atlético Madrid also warmed up for today’s meeting with a relaxed 5-0 win, on average there is a huge difference in form between the two teams. Inter have won their last eight matches with a total of 21 goals scored, winning games against Lazio, Napoli, Fiorentina, Juventus and Inter among others, while Madrid are fighting for the podium and, in case of worse form, a place in the Champions League.
It would be hard not to talk about the current Inter in superlatives, with the Italian Super Cup in the bag and although the four trophies are no longer possible due to the cup knockout, the Scudetto is practically decided. And the most shocking thing of all is that the Sommer-Thuram duo, who are practically delivering the points on a conveyor belt, have been signed by the Milan club for a total of 7(!!!) million euros.
Against Salernitana, a massive rest was of course allowed for Inter, so Darmian and Dimarco could be ready for Tuesday night, but Acerbi’s injury is also a thing of the past. There aren’t too many questions in several posts, with the Thuram-Lautaro duo looking vital up front and Marko Arnautovic hungry for minutes on the bench.
As for the visitors, anything can still come of this season as the Matracos could finish anywhere between 2nd and 5th. In any case, 5-0 against Las Palmas was much needed for Simeone’s side, as Atleti are coming off a three-match winless run, and a confident win ahead of the CL clash will give them confidence.
Predicted lineups
There was plenty of rest here too, with Griezmann and Hermoso, for example, not starting, but neither De Paul nor Witsel played the whole game, to name just those who will definitely start in Milan. Otherwise, there is nothing new under the sun in terms of absentees, with Gabriel Paulista, Azpilicueta and Lemar remaining, leaving Morata perhaps the most questionable element. If the Spain international doesn’t recover from his knee injury, Depay, who scored against the Canaries, could start alongside Griezmann, even with Correa having doubled at the weekend.
We led off this article with the cards, and obviously we’ll be betting on that too. The 90 minutes in Milan will be directed by István Kovács from Transylvania, who has a massive CL routine to his name, with four group games and two qualifiers to his name. In all, he handed out 33 cards, and the average of 5.5 is in line with the bookies’ limit. We contrast the bookies‘ expectations…
The yellow cards have not been cancelled, so players should pay attention (Samuel Lino, Henrikh Mkitaryan, Lautaro Martinez and Kristjan Asllani are all in danger of a direct ban). That said, neither team received many cards during the group stage, with Atlético averaging around 2.5 and Inter 2.13.
It’s a back-and-forth encounter, where cautious football will probably prevail, with neither team in any hurry to win this round in 90 minutes. For this reason we expect few cards, few goals and little of interest in this encounter. Inter are the better team and are rightly favourites to progress, but we don’t rule out the possibility of extra time in Madrid after two draws.
✅ Pick #1: 5.5 under cards @1.92
✅ Pick #2: Bet Builder: Under 6.5 cards + Under 3.5 goals @1.90
