The Champions League returns tomorrow
Team
— Oct 21st 2020Inter's first European fixture this season will be against Borussia Mönchengladbach at 21:00 CEST on Wednesday
MILAN - A first appearance for the Nerazzurri in the UEFA Champions League 2020/21 draws ever closer. Antonio Conte’s squad will face Marco Rose’s Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday, at 21:00 CEST at San Siro. Rose’s team gained access to the UCL by virtue of finishing in fourth place in the Bundesliga. In Group B, the Nerazzurri have also been drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid, who themselves with face each other at 18:55 CEST on Wednesday in Spain.
Information, numbers and past encounters:
THE OPPONENTS
For Borussia Mönchengladbach, the clash against Inter represents just the third time they’ve featured in the Champions League group stage in their history. Marco Rose’s team gained access to the UCL following a fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga, having picked up 65 points consisting of 20 victories, five draws and nine losses. With 66 goals scored and only 40 conceded, the team had the fourth best defence in the league. The beginning of the 2020/21 season has seen them play out two draws (against Union Berlin and Wolfsburg), a defeat (Dortmund) and a victory (Cologne) in their first four games in the Bundesliga.
THE MATCHDAY PROGRAMME FOR INTER VS. BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH
Danilo D'Ambrosio's dream 5-a-side team, tactical analysis, videos, info, insights into an Inter jersey and more: find it all in our Matchday Programme.
ANTONIO CONTE'S THOUGHTS
"Reaching the final last year meant we all gained experience. We added Vidal to this group, who has a lot of international experience. We’re now much better equipped than we were last season."
HANDANOVIC'S THOUGHTS
"I have faith because if every player analyses his own mistakes, we can only ever improve. We need to raise our game; the Champions League is tough and we all need to do better."
THE TEAM'S FINAL TRAINING SESSION
INTER'S PATH
After their fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Inter will travel away to face Shakhtar Donetsk at 18:55 CET on Tuesday 27 October, followed by two games against Real Madrid (the first of which will be in Spain at 21:00 CET on Tuesday 3 November, with the second being at San Siro at the same time on Wednesday 25 November). After that, the Nerazzurri will play their second match against the German side at 21:00 CET on Tuesday 1 December and their final group fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk at 21:00 CET on Wednesday 9 December.
INTER #UCLEGACY IS COMING
Sit back, make yourselves comfortable and get ready for a new Nearuzzurri saga. Inter #UCLegacy is coming.
PAST ENCOUNTERS
Past encounters between Inter and Mönchengladbach have remained perfectly balanced. The two teams have played each other on four occasions, two in 1971 and two in 1979, with a Nerazzuri win (4-2), two draws (0-0 and 1-1) and a triumph for the Germans (2-3 at San Siro after extra-time). The first ever match between the two teams is best known as the one in which a can hit Boninsegna on the head in Germany, with a replay then being required.
REFEREE
The referee for this clash will be Dutch official Björn Kuipers, who will have Sander van Roekel and Erwin Zeinstra as his assistants. The fourth official for the fixture will be Allard Lindhout. VAR will be managed by Danny Makkelie and his assistant Jan de Vries. Kuipers is set to referee his second Inter fixture: he was the man in the middle when Inter fell to a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the same competition last season.