Just eight teams remain in the UEFA Champions League, as 2020 winners Bayern Munich host 2010 champions Inter Milan in the first leg of their quarter-final clash. Bayern, one of two German clubs left in the competition, boosted their confidence over the weekend with a 3-1 win at Augsburg, keeping them six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Vincent Kompany’s side will be feeling positive ahead of this match, as Bayern are unbeaten in their last 22 home games in the Champions League, winning 17 and drawing five. Their last home defeat in the competition came in a quarter-final first leg back in 2021. Bayern have a strong history at this stage, with 21 wins and 13 losses in European quarter-finals, though they had lost three in a row before knocking out Arsenal last season.
Inter Milan are the only Italian side left in the tournament and still have hopes of winning a treble, as they lead the Serie A title race and are also in the Coppa Italia semi-finals. This is their third match against a German team this season – the first two both ended 1-0, one win and one loss. Their away record in Germany is mixed, with six wins, eight draws, and nine defeats.
Getting a positive result before the return leg could be crucial for Inter, who have gone out at the quarter-final stage in four of their seven appearances since the Champions League format began. Manager Simone Inzaghi has never beaten Bayern in his career, losing all four meetings and conceding at least two goals each time.
One key player to watch is Leroy Sané, who has been in top form for Bayern, with three goals and one assist in his last three matches. He also scored in his only previous game against Inter. Inter’s Denzel Dumfries will likely be tasked with marking him, but he has a reputation for committing fouls – 17 in total so far this Champions League season, averaging just over two per match.
12 of the last 15 goals in Bayern’s Champions League games have come in the second half.
