Royale Union SG will look to bounce back from a heavy defeat on matchday two, but waiting for them are an Inter Milan side looking to preserve their 100% winning start to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) league phase.
Match News and Current Form
David Hubert got his managerial career at Royale Union off to a winning start by defeating Charleroi 3-1 at the weekend. That helped Les Unionistes bounce back from consecutive defeats which included a 4-0 thrashing at this venue by Newcastle United on matchday two. Royale Union wouldn’t want the ignominy of being the first Belgian side since Royal Antwerp in 2023/24 to lose their first two 'home' matches in this competition, and a seven-game unbeaten run (W4, D3) in group/league phase matches in Europe prior to that Newcastle loss gives them a slice of hope of bouncing back here at the neutral Lotto Park, home of Anderlecht.
Inter Milan edged out Roma 1-0 at the weekend for a sixth competitive win in a row, a run that started on matchday one of this competition. With both of their UCL wins coming to nil, manager Cristian Chivu can etch his name into the record books as the Nerazzurri have never won the first three games of a single European Cup/UCL campaign without conceding. Ten clean sheets in their last 11 group/league phase matches suggest they can achieve that record, although only four wins in their last eight away games in UCL group/league phase games (D3, L1) mean that isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion.
Head-to-Head History
This will be the first-ever H2H, while Union’s only previous game against Italian opposition was a 1-1 draw against Roma in last season’s UEFA Europa League. Inter have won their last three matches against Belgium clubs, the last of which came in the 2004/05 UCL.
Win ProbabilityOpta by StatsPerform
Hot Stats and Streaks
Royale Union conceded exactly once in seven of the last 12 European games they hosted.
Royale Union saw only two of their 38 previous UEFA games finish goalless.
Four of Inter’s last five away UCL league phase games saw under 1.5 goals.
Only four of Inter’s last 24 UCL group/league phase matches saw both teams score.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Kevin Mac Allister scored Royale Union’s last goal in this competition, but will be cautious of his defensive duties having been carded in three of his last five games. Fellow Argentine Lautaro Martínez could test his mettle as the Inter forward has ten goals in his last nine UCL matches, netting them from 21 shots.
Raul Florucz is set to be available for Royale Union after missing the last two UCL matches due to suspension, while Matteo Darmian missed Inter’s match against Roma.
For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.
Betting Analysis
Inter’s defensive pedigree in Europe suggests backing both teams to score - no could be a prudent pick.
