Real Madrid vs Inter Milan predictions and match preview for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture. Read on for the head-to-head, team news and predicted lineups as Los Blancos aim for top spot in the group.
| Date | Tuesday 7th December 2021 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | Santiago Bernabeu |
| Competition | UEFA Champions League Group Stage |
Real Madrid vs Inter Milan Preview
Real Madrid and Inter Milan have both already secured qualification into the knockout stages of the Champions League heading into matchday 6 in Group D. The outcome of this one will determine who wins the group which will carry with it significant advantages in the Last 16 draw. Los Blancos just need a point to finish on top but can’t afford to lose.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men have been far the most impressive Spanish side this season, both at home and abroad. They are threatening to run away with the title race in LaLiga after a weekend victory at Real Sociedad moved them 8 points clear of their nearest challengers. That was an 8th straight win in all competitions for a Madrid side that has only suffered one UCL slip-up in the form of a shock 2-1 home defeat against debutants Sheriff.
The only doubts about Real Madrid now come with questions over whether fatigue is eventually going to set in. Ancelotti has stubbornly refused to rotate despite the ageing nature of some of his players and a packed fixture list. The Madrid derby follows this in LaLiga but they aren’t expected to rotate much here either although some changes will be enforced with key man Karim Benzema sidelined after picking up a knock at the weekend which may give Luka Jovic, a scorer in San Sebastian, a rare start.
That’s positive news for Inter Milan who arguably had the better of the reverse meeting but still lost it thanks to a late Rodrygo strike. Inter have regrouped well since then though, taking 10 points from their subsequent 4 UCL fixtures to book their place in the knockout stage with a game to spare. That’s a big improvement on last term when they finished bottom of a similar kind of group featuring 3 of the same 4 teams.
The Italian giants take good overall form into this match too. They’ve won their last 5 competitive games including an impressive 3-0 win away to Jose Mourinho’s Roma at the weekend. All the goals came in the First Half so Simone Inzaghi was able to withdraw key men and they should be fresh to go here and they’re looking pretty good at both ends of the pitch with 4 straight clean sheets heading into this.
Head to Head
- Real Madrid have won all 3 competitive meetings this century.
- All of those games have been since the start of last season with Los Blancos 3-2 and 2-0 winners in last season’s group stage.
- Real Madrid won 1-0 in Milan earlier in this group.
Team News
Real Madrid are missing Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Dani Ceballos to injury.
The visitors also have some significant absentees with Matteo Darmian, Aleksandar Kolarov, Stefan de Vrij and Andrea Ranocchia all out.
Possible Lineups
Real Madrid vs Inter Milan Predictions
Score Prediction: Real Madrid 1-1 Inter Milan
With no Karim Benzema, Real Madrid look less clear favourites than they would have been for this game. It’ll be interesting to see what approach Carlo Ancelotti takes and whether he opts to inject energy into the team by bringing in some fresh legs such as Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga in midfield. They may struggle to dominate it but with home advantage they should get the result they need to top the group.
UEFA Champions League Match Previews
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Mark Sochon is an experienced football writer and editor of LaLiga Expert. Based in Madrid, he has covered La Liga and Spanish football for many years. He also covers Spanish and European football for Goal and Betfred, while his work has previously been published by the Guardian and World Soccer.