Inter Milan vs Slavia Prague: Champions League Clash at San Siro

Inter Milan debut at home in this Champions League campaign, facing Slavia Prague in the second round of the league phase

The wait is almost over: Inter Milan are ready for their home debut in this Champions League campaign. Tonight 9 pm, the Nerazzurri will face Slavia Prague at San Siro in the second round of the league phase.

In the opening match, Cristian Chivu’s side secured a 2-0 win away at Ajax thanks to a Marcus Thuram brace.

Previous meetings 

This will be the third European encounter between Inter Milan and Slavia Prague, after their group stage clashes in the 2019/20 season. 

On that occasion, Inter Milan drew 1-1 at San Siro in the opening match thanks to a Nicolò Barella goal, before winning 3-1 in Prague with a Lautaro Martínez double and a Romelu Lukaku strike.

Inter Milan have a strong record against Czech sides: the Nerazzurri have won their last four Champions League matches against teams from the Czech Republic, with an aggregate score of 10-1, keeping clean sheets in the last three fixtures.

Lautaro, a special memory 

The Inter Milan captain already wrote an important page of his European journey against Slavia Prague, scoring his first-ever Champions League brace back in November 2019 at the Fortuna Arena. 

Lautaro opened the scoring and later struck again to seal the 3-1 win. For the Argentine, it was one of his first great European nights, the beginning of a path that now sees him as a leader and talisman. Facing Slavia again brings back the memory of that defining moment.

Çalhanoglu, Vision and Control 

Two ideas, two assists. Against Ajax, Hakan Çalhanoglu dictated play with clarity, providing both passes that set up Thuram’s goals in the 2-0 victory. 

It was only the second time in Inter Milan’s history that a player assisted the same teammate twice in a Champions League match, after Lukaku’s two assists for Lautaro against Slavia in 2019. A thread that links past and present.

Bastoni's numbers 

In his Champions League debut this season, Alessandro Bastoni shone with quality and bravery in his passing choices. 

His 19 line-breaking passes disrupted Ajax’s pressing, creating attacking opportunities and continuity for Inter Milan. This figure not only highlights his central role in build-up play but also stands as the highest recorded in the entire 2024/25 edition.

Slavia Prague’s Form and Tactical Approach

Coached by Jindřich Trpišovský, Slavia Prague started the season strongly after winning last year’s league title. 

After ten rounds, they sit second with 24 points, just one behind leaders Sparta Prague. Their record shows seven wins and three draws, still unbeaten. They have scored 21 goals and conceded 7.

Their current form is excellent, with four wins in their last five matches (against Mlada Boleslav, Karvina, Sokol Brozany, and Dukla) and only one draw, away at Slovan Liberec.

Slavia Prague returned to the Champions League after three seasons. Their opening fixture ended 2-2 against Bodo Glimt: after taking a 2-0 lead, the Norwegians struck back with two late goals in the final 12 minutes.

Head coach Trpišovský has been in charge for nine seasons, winning four league titles and four domestic cups. 

Slavia are expected to line up in a 3-5-2 with Stanek in goal, Mbodji, Zima, and Holes in defense, Dorley, Zafeiris, Provod, Sadilek, and Doudera in midfield, and the strike partnership of Chory and Kusej up front.

Source: inter.it