Inter Milan vs Benfica Lisbon Prediction & Betting Tips - Champions League

Playing at home on the back of a first leg lead places Inter Milan in the driving seat here and they are the bookies’ favorites, with odds of 2.18 for a win. Benfica have odds of 3.7 for a win and a draw is priced at 3.57. Benfica will want to go into this game for a comeback but odds don’t favor them for that, with Inter Milan backed to progress at 1.05 on Bet365 and Benfica at 11.00. Inter are also favorites to progress within 90 minutes at 1.083 on Bet365 while Benfica have odds of 21.00 for the same.

Inter Milan will welcome a return to continental action as they aren’t on a very good run domestically. They are coming from a 1-0 loss at home to struggling Monza – their fourth loss in five Serie A matches, and they’ve failed to score in three of the last four league matches. Inter Milan have however lost just once in the last eight Champions League matches, against Bayern Munich at the group stage. Goals from Nicolo Barela and Romelu Lukaku secured Inter a 2-0 first leg lead and the Italians will head into this game seeking just a draw. Even with a 1-0 loss they will be able to progress. Ahead of this game they have three straight clean sheets in the Champions League and have won each of their last three home matches in the competition. This isn’t a fixture Inter have lost before; in three earlier matches against Benfica, they have a draw and two wins.

Benfica have gone on a lull after a blistering run earlier in the season. Coming into this game, they have three straight losses, one of them at home to Inter Milan and they will be keen to fight back here. They are coming from a 1-0 loss away to Chaves in the Portuguese topflight and have managed just a clean sheet in the last five matches. While they need to score at least two goals to take this game to extra time, Benfica come into this game having scored more than a goal in just one of their last five matches. The loss to Inter was the first in their Champions League journey this season but they haven't had a very good defensive run there either. They’ve conceded in four of their last five Champions League matches, but failed to score in just one. A common stat in their Champions League matches has been the award of penalties – in the last six, seven penalties have been awarded either for Benfica or the opponents.