Champions League: Inter vs. Liverpool preview | OneFootball

Liverpool travel to face Italian football giants Inter on 9th December for Arne Slot’s final Champions League fixture of 2025. Both teams will have ambitions of consolidating a top-eight spot in the league phase under the competition’s new format.

The San Siro has proved a happy hunting ground for the Reds over the years, boasting a 100% record in Lombardy across four visits. However, it’s been a challenging season so far domestically for the defending Premier League champions.

Inter, under Cristian Chivu, knew victory would all but guarantee their place in the knockout rounds after reaching two Champions League finals in the past three seasons.

Both teams occupy comfortable positions in the league phase table, yet their league form makes for an unpredictable encounter, given how well they have performed in Europe.

Early season form

Inter’s momentum suffered a jolt in the Milan derby, a 1-0 defeat that felt harsher than the scoreline suggested. Chivu’s side dominated the game with 64% possession and more shots on target, yet Christian Pulisic’s early second-half finish proved decisive.

The result left the Nerazzurri trailing Roma and defending champions Napoli in Serie A, a reminder that domestic form remains elusive even as European nights offer redemption.

Liverpool’s struggles have been more pronounced. Slot has already lost more league games by November than he managed throughout the entirety of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.

It’s a statistic that has left those who backed the Reds to retain the title, including those lured by optimistic free bet sign-up offers after a summer of significant spending, questioning their investment. The champions’ defence of their crown has been anything but convincing.

Yet Europe has provided sanctuary for both. Liverpool’s sole blemish came away at Galatasaray but was swiftly rectified by commanding performances against Eintracht Frankfurt and Real Madrid.

Inter have had less challenging tests but have still shown why they are one of the early favourites to reach Budapest next May, dispatching Ajax and Slavia Prague while maintaining a perfect home record.

The league phase format, though, offers little certainty. With two fixtures remaining beyond this encounter, the table remains fluid.

Liverpool topped last year’s group unbeaten only to draw eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. The Parisians subsequently dismantled Inter in Munich’s final, but this Inter vintage feels different. More seasoned, more dangerous.

The spine that reached two of the last three finals remains intact, now supplemented by the acquisitions of Ange-Yoan Bonny and Luis Henrique, additions that have provided both quality and depth to Chivu’s squad.

The San Siro Equation

MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 23: A general view of the stadium during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Liverpool’s record at this stadium borders on the mystical. Four Champions League visits, four victories, against both Milan clubs.

The most recent triumph over Inter came in 2022, when Jürgen Klopp’s side secured a 2-0 first-leg advantage through Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. Fernando Torres’s solitary goal in 2008 provided another memorable chapter of those famous Rafael Benitez nights.

Even a 3-1 group-stage win over AC Milan sits within this run of dominance, goals from Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Dominik Szoboszlai showcasing their superiority in Milan.

English clubs as a whole have travelled well to San Siro in recent seasons. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have all produced notable results, which have shaped how bookmakers tend to price these fixtures. Liverpool are often given a narrow edge when facing Italian opposition here, even in campaigns where their domestic form has been inconsistent.

Inter’s recent history in Europe complicates the picture, having beaten the likes of Monaco, RB Leipzig, and Barcelona at home last season. The odds are shaped more by reputation than prediction, with Liverpool’s history in Lombardy balanced against Inter’s recent rise in Europe.

Team News

Since replacing Simone Inzaghi in June, Chivu has constructed his European campaign on defensive solidity. Inter have not conceded from open play in their opening four matches; the solitary goal allowed came from a corner against Kairat.

That resilience, combined with clever game management, has become their signature. Manuel Akanji’s addition to the back three brings title‑race experience and familiarity with Liverpool’s attack.

Slot, for his part, has leaned on experience during European travels. His decision to select Andy Robertson over Milos Kerkez signals a preference for reliability, particularly against the surging runs Federico DiMarco provides.

Denzel Dumfries may return from an ankle injury that the Dutchman picked up against Lazio, adding another dimension to Inter’s attacking transitions.

Liverpool will likely deploy Slot’s preferred 4-3-3 for big European occasions. The selection dilemma centres on the left flank. Does Cody Gakpo’s directness suit the occasion, or will Slot turn to Florian Wirtz’s creativity? The record signing continues to adapt to Merseyside and the team’s style.

Prediction

Liverpool’s San Siro supremacy is undeniable, yet this Inter side feels more formidable than previous versions.

Their home form suggests they possess the tools to halt the Reds’ winning run in Milan, particularly given Liverpool’s domestic fragilities. Still, European football has a way of resurrecting familiar patterns, and history whispers that Liverpool, even under Slot, know how to navigate this ground.

This feels like a contest settled by fine margins rather than dominance. Both sides have shown they can absorb pressure and strike decisively. Neither can afford complacency with the league phase table still taking shape.

The streak may end, but not emphatically. A draw serves both sides’ ambitions while acknowledging the quality on display, and the lingering sense that neither has quite found their most convincing rhythm this season.

Full Time: Inter 1-1 Liverpool