Champions League Odds: Inter Milan vs. FC Porto prediction, pick, how to watch
Inter Milan will be the host to FC Porto in the first leg of the Champions League knockout round in San Siro Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Italy. Join us as we continue our Champions League odds series, where we make our Inter Milan-FC Porto prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
Inter Milan was the runner-up in Group C of this Champions League campaign, qualifying alongside Bayern Munich. Barcelona and Viktoria Plzen occupied the last two places in the group. Inter Milan carries a five-game unbeaten streak and hopes to preserve that run on familiar territory.
Porto is the second seed in Portugal’s top flight, but they were the top seed in Group B, overtaking Club Brugge, Leverkusen, and Atletico Madrid. Porto has a longer unbeaten streak, with its last loss obtained way back in October.
Here are the Inter Milan-FC Portosoccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Champions League Odds: Inter Milan-FC Porto Odds
Inter Milan: -140
FC Porto: +420
Draw: +260
Over 2.5 Goals: +118
Under 2.5 Goals: -142
How to Watch Inter Milan vs. FC Porto
TV: DAZN
Stream: Amazon Prime, fuboTV, Paramount+, ViX, Vix+
Time: 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV(click for a free trial)*
Why Inter Milan Can Beat FC Porto
FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Inter Milan battled for their spots in the Champions League knock-out rounds, and the Nerazzurri would edge their Catalonian counterparts by three points to finish second behind the undefeated Bayern Munich. A week after AC Milan’s win over Tottenham Hotspur, Inter hopes to give the Lombardy fans another reason to celebrate on the San Siro turf. The Black and Blues are currently second in the Serie A with 15 points to catch leaders Napoli. They are also in survival mode to capture the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup.
Simone Inzaghi’s squad posts 12.2 shots, 5.7 corners, and a 47.5% ball possession rate in six games in the Champions League group. Edin Dzeko leads the team with three goals while Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Joaquin Correa, and Lautaro Martinez have two assists each in this tournament. Inter won four of its five recent games, earning decisive victories over Atalanta in the Coppa Italia, as well as three points from each of the matches against Udinese, Cremonese, and bitter rivals AC Milan. However, they were held out to a scoreless draw by 19th-placed Sampdoria.
What’s more impressive is Il Biscione’s defensive improvements for this year. Since the calendar flipped to 2023, the Nerazzurri have conceded just six goals in 11 games. They are not very impressive on the offensive end either, as six of those games ended with Inter either scoring once or being shut out. Regardless, Inter just lost once and drew twice in 11 games in 2023.
Nearly blessed with a full complement of players, Inter coach Inzaghi should only be without thigh victim Joaquin Correa. Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 formation will be on full display here, with Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukakau occupying the forward spots. The trio of Hakan Calhanoglu, Milan Skriniar, and goalkeeper Andre Onana should also start ahead of Matteo Darmian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Samir Handanovic out of the XI. Edin Dzeko should see some time as a quality forward substitute.
Why FC Porto Can Beat Inter Milan
Porto has five points to catch Benfica to overtake them in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. However, the Blues and Whites have won their last ten games and won their last two away outings in the Champions League by an aggregate 7-0 scoreline against Club Brugge and Bayer Leverkusen. Their 22-game unbeaten streak remains active, but their long injury list might put a stop to their red-hot form.
Porto recently won the League Cup in Portugalmulling over Gil Vicente, Academico Viseu, and Sporting CP in all knock-out rounds, scoring 7-0 on an aggregate and keeping three clean sheets in the playoffs. Porto’s win streak is also founded on defensive solidity. They haven’t scored more than two goals in any of their last six victories, but five clean sheets have ensured maximum points. Since the turn of the calendar, Porto has amassed nine wins, one draw, and nine clean sheets with only two goals conceded
Given their growing injury list, Sergio Conceicao’s squad should be more inclined to make themselves difficult to beat, staying alive for the second leg on home turf. Conceicao will still employ a 4-3-1-2 formation while trying to emulate their defensive matrices of 17.3 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 14.6 clearances in 21 games played in Portugal’s top flight.
Porto will have to work around the absences of Evanilson, Fabio Cardoso, Gabriel Veron, and Francisco Meixedo, while Mateus Uribe and Wenderson Galeno will need to assess if they can see time on the pitch. Mehdi Taremi leads the squad with 16 combined goals in Liga Portugal and the Champions League, making him a lock in the starting forward spot alongside Danny Namaso and Pepe.
Final Inter Milan-FC Porto Prediction & Pick
Both teams carry winning streaks heading into this match, but Porto’s roster reduction spells a recipe for disaster for the visitors. With no missing players from the hosts, expect the Italians to take this win against the Portuguese.
