After securing a hard-fought draw in their Champions League opener, Inter Milan will be aiming for their first win of the group stage when they host Red Star Belgrade at San Siro on Tuesday.Inter have been a dominant force on home soil, while Red Star are still searching for their first away victory in the Champions League since the end of the European Cup era.Following their runner-up finish to Manchester City in the 2023 final, Inter were drawn against the reigning English champions once again in their opening match of this year’s competition. With a well-executed defensive plan, Simone Inzaghi’s side held firm and became just the second team to prevent a Pep Guardiola-led City from scoring at home in the Champions League.Inter’s defensive prowess has been on full display, keeping 13 clean sheets in their last 22 matches at Europe’s top level — the most of any club since the 2022-23 season. They have also only lost two of their last 16 games in the competition. This record underscores their status as serious contenders in this year’s tournament.Barcelona welcome the perfect opponent to heal the Osasuna-inflicted woundsAt San Siro, Inter are unbeaten in their last nine Champions League matches, their best run since their triumph over Bayern Munich in the 2010 final. However, despite a strong European start, Inter were winless in three games before bouncing back with a 3-2 victory over Udinese last weekend. The win helped erase the sting of their Derby della Madonnina defeat to AC Milan.In that match, Davide Frattesi calmed nerves with an early goal, while Lautaro Martinez netted his first club goals of the season to secure the win.Inter have faced Red Star Belgrade twice before, with the Italians winning 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the 1980-81 European Cup. Red Star, meanwhile, are winless in their last eight matches against Serie A sides, dating back to 2005.Red Star Belgrade finished last in their Champions League group last season, losing five out of six games, but they bounced back to claim their seventh consecutive Serbian league title. Their qualification for this year’s Champions League came after a hard-fought victory over Bodo/Glimt in the playoff round.##EDITORS_CHOICE##In their first group-stage match this season, Red Star fell 2-1 to Benfica after conceding twice in the opening 30 minutes. Despite a late goal from Felicio Milson, they couldn’t secure a point. However, they responded in the Serbian league with a 4-0 Eternal Derby victory over rivals Partizan Belgrade, followed by a 2-1 win over Zeleznicar Pancevo, keeping them unbeaten domestically.Despite dominating the Serbian league with eight wins from nine games, Red Star have struggled on the European stage, having lost all nine of their Champions League away matches. Only two teams have played more away games in the competition without managing a single win.Inter’s primary concern for Tuesday’s fixture is the availability of key midfielder Nicolo Barella, who missed the weekend match due to a thigh injury. Should he remain sidelined, Piotr Zielinski or Frattesi are expected to step in. Canadian wing-back Tajon Buchanan will also miss out.With a league clash against Torino on the horizon, Simone Inzaghi may opt to rotate his squad, but regardless of the lineup, Inter will field an experienced side. Their starting XI against Manchester City had an average age of nearly 30, making them one of the oldest teams in the opening round of matches.Champions League matchday 2: Inter vs. Red Star probable lineups pic.twitter.com/bE3DboZrxF— FedeNerazzurra ⭐️⭐️ (@F_Nerazzurra) October 1, 2024 For Red Star, Ognjen Mimovic (foot) and long-term absentee Vladimir Lucic (knee) are unavailable. Central midfielders Rade Krunic — who returns to San Siro after winning the Scudetto with Milan in 2022 — and Timi Elsnik will be key in attempting to contain Inter. Elsnik impressed against Benfica, creating the most chances, completing the most passes, and recovering possession more times than any of his teammates.Up front, Cherif Ndiaye, who recently netted a hat-trick in the Eternal Derby, will battle Bruno Duarte for a starting spot. Ndiaye is Red Star’s top scorer this season with seven goals and will be looking to make an impact against the Nerazzurri.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 2Tuesday19:45: (1.80) Salzburg (3.60) Brest (4.60)19:45: (1.45) Stuttgart (4.50) Sparta Praha (7.00)22:00: (1.75) Leverkusen (3.70) Milan (4.70)22:00: (1.50) Dortmund (4.30) Celtic (6.50)22:00: (1.10) Barcelona (11.0) Young Boys (18.0)22:00: (1.20) Inter (7.75) Crvena Zvezda (18.0)22:00: (1.85) Arsenal (3.70) PSG (4.70)22:00: (35.0) Slovan B. (14.0) Man.City (1.05)22:00: (2.60) PSV (3.50) Sporting (2.80)Wednesday19:45: (2.10) Girona (3.60) Feyenoord (3.60)19:45: (5.30) Shakhtar (3.60) Atalanta (1.70)22:00: (5.30) Dinamo Zagreb (3.60) Monaco (1.70)22:00: (6.00) Lille (4.10) Real Madrid (1.55)22:00: (3.00) Benfica (3.45) Atl.Madrid (2.50)22:00: (4.60) Aston Villa (3.80) Bayern (1.75)22:00: (2.40) RB Leipzig (3.45) Juventus (3.15)22:00: (1.20) Liverpool (6.75) Bologna (14.0)22:00: (2.80) Sturm (3.40) Club Brugge (2.65)***odds are subject to change***
