The group stage of the Champions League ended recently, and after the draw, many fans are already looking forward to the matches of the 1/8 finals, choose their favorites and bet on mostbet uz kirish. However, it is rather difficult to predict how the matches of the first round of the playoffs will end, because by and large, at this stage there are no weak teams left. The meeting between Milan “Inter” and “Porto” promises to be interesting enough.
Despite the fact that initially it may seem that the Italian club is the undisputed favorite in this meeting, bookmakers do not think so. Let’s consider what was the road of each of the teams to the playoffs and make our own forecast for the outcome of the two-legged confrontation.
Inter’s path to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League
The Milan club fell into the “death” group, where they fought for the right to remain in the top 16 clubs in the world with Barcelona, Bayern and Viktoria Plzen. In the first round, the Italian team met with Bayern and lost to the Germans at their home stadium with a score of 0:2. Further, there was a victory over Victoria 2:0 and a minimal victory over Barcelona (1:0). In Catalonia, a real thriller broke out between the rivals and a super-successful draw with a score of 3:3 was recorded.
In the final two matches, the Milanese club needed to get 3 points, and the Milanese did it already in the 5th round with a confident victory over Victoria with a score of 4:0. In the final meeting, Inter went to Munich, where they lost to Bayern 2:0.
Thus, the Milan club was able to get ahead of the rather strong Barcelona and entered the playoffs from second place, where the Italians were also lucky with the draw. With all due respect to Porto, of all the teams that took first place in their groups, the Portuguese were one of the most desirable clubs.
The path of Porto to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League
Porto finished first in their group and this achievement helped them to avoid any of the favorites of the tournament, but with the Milan club in the 1/8 finals it will not be an easy walk. A victory over Inter, who have already knocked out Barcelona and can count on the help of Romel Lukaku in 2023, could be another achievement for the Portuguese. Sergio Conceiçao’s team is capable of dealing with Inter, but they are likely to start the match as underdogs.
Porto’s path in the group round began with a 2-1 loss to Atlético in Madrid and a 0-4 home fiasco against Club Brugge. It would seem that the chances of a successful entry into the playoffs for the Portuguese strongly decreased, but Sergio Conceicao’s team had other thoughts about this. In rounds 3 and 4, Porto confidently defeated Bayer at home 2:0 and away 0:3. Further, the Portuguese did not leave a stone unturned from Brugge, having avenged their home defeat (0:4). In the final match for the Portuguese, the fate of the 1st place was decided, and they did not blunder. In the home match against Atlético, the team won with a score of 2:1.
Odds for the match “Inter” – “Porto”
Italian giants Inter finished second in their group behind Germany’s Bayern Munich. They did not manage to beat Bayern in the group, but they still showed a quality game in order to reach the playoffs. Porto were ahead of Club Brugge in their group, but it all came down to the final game week. Porto has a history of high-profile Champions League victories. Just two years ago, they beat Juventus in the 1/8 finals. However, can we expect a repeat of this success in the match against Inter? We think it’s unlikely.
Bookmakers also see Inter as a slight favourite:
- Access to the 1/4 finals of “Inter” – coefficient 1.74.
- Access to the 1/4 finals “Porto” – odds 2.09.
Inter will be quite pleased with how the draw turned out, as Porto is one of the weakest group winners on paper. Simone Inzaghi’s side still lacks consistency, but having already eliminated Barcelona from the competition, they will be dreaming of their chances against the Portuguese champions.