Benfica vs Inter facts

Already out of UEFA Champions League contention, Group D's bottom side Benfica face Inter Milan with their European prospects in peril.

The Portuguese side have lost all four games in Group D – including a 1-0 defeat at Inter on Matchday 2 – and are three points behind third-placed Salzburg, who they face in Austria on Matchday 6.

By contrast Inter have ten points, level with Real Sociedad, sealing a place in the round of 16 with a 2-1 win at home to Salzburg in their last fixture.

The Nerazzurri overcame Benfica – who have never beaten Inter in six previous attempts – 5-3 on aggregate in the 2022/23 quarter-finals having also ousted another Portuguese side, Porto, in the round of 16.

Previous meetings 

Benfica wins 0
Inter wins 4
Draws 2
Benfica goals 6
Inter goals 11

Marcus Thuram's 62nd-minute strike proved enough for Inter to record a 1-0 win against Benfica at San Siro on Matchday 2 – their third victory in four home matches against the Portuguese club.

Second-half goals from Nicolò Barella (51) and substitute Romelu Lukaku (82), the latter a penalty after João Mário had handled, gave Inter a 2-0 first-leg victory at Benfica in last season's quarter-finals.

Barella (14) and Fredrik Aursnes (38) swapped first-half goals at San Siro before second-half strikes from Lautaro Martínez (65) and Joaquín Correa (78) looked to have given Inter another win only for António Silva (86) and Petar Musa (90+5) to strike late and earn Benfica a draw on the night.

Inter claimed their second European Cup at Benfica's expense, Helenio Herrera's side winning 1-0 in the 1965 final at their own San Siro home thanks to a 43rd-minute goal from Jair.

The sides' only other fixtures came in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup fourth round, the first leg in Lisbon finishing goalless before a 4-3 victory for Alberto Zaccheroni's Inter in Milan. Although Nuno Gomes gave the visitors a 36th-minute lead, Obafemi Martins (45+1) levelled before the break. Álvaro Recoba put Inter in front on the hour and Christian Vieri (64) quickly extended the lead; Nuno Gomes' second goal of the night in the 67th minute gave Benfica hope but Martins (70) swiftly got his second and Inter's fourth, although Tiago's 77th-minute reply for the visitors set up a tense finale.

Form guide

Benfica

Record vs Italian clubs: W11 D6 L19 F38 A50
Home record vs Italian clubs: W7 D4 L4

Benfica had already faced Italian opposition in last season's Champions League prior to their quarter-final against Inter, beating Juventus 2-1 in Turin on Matchday 2 and 4-3 in Lisbon on Matchday 5 in the group stage.

Before their victory in Turin, Benfica had not played an Italian club since losing away (2-4) and home (1-2) to Napoli in the 2016/17 Champions League group stage. That defeat in Lisbon ended a four-match unbeaten run at home to Serie A sides (W2 D2).

This is Benfica's 18th group appearance in the Champions League, and a 13th in the last 14 seasons.

The Eagles reached the quarter-finals for a second successive season in 2022/23. Benfica had finished first in Group H ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus before knocking out Club Brugge in the round of 16 (2-0 a, 5-1 h) and then losing to Inter.

Last season's defeat by Inter in Lisbon ended Benfica's six-match unbeaten home run in European competition (W5 D1). This season's losses to Salzburg and Real Sociedad have made it three successive home reverses for the first time since 2017.

European champions in 1961 and 1962, beating Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, Benfica have lost in five other European Cup finals, most recently in 1990.

The Lisbon club were Portuguese champions for a record 38th time in 2022/23, Roger Schmidt's side finishing two points ahead of Porto to claim Benfica's first title since 2019.

Inter

Record vs Portuguese clubs: W13 D7 L4 F32 A17
Away record vs Portuguese clubs: W2 D5 L4

Last season's win at Benfica was only Inter's second in Portugal, the other 2-0 at Boavista in the UEFA Cup third round second leg in December 1996. Their away record against Portuguese clubs otherwise is D5 L4; they have drawn four of their seven matches since that win at Boavista.

A 1-0 win against Porto in the first leg of their round of 16 tie last season was Inter's first game against a Portuguese club since the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage, when they lost 1-0 at Sporting CP but won at home by the same scoreline.

This is the Nerazzurri's 17th Champions League group appearance, and a sixth in succession.

Inter enjoyed their most successful Champions League campaign since lifting the trophy in 2010 last season, reaching the final. Second in Group C behind Bayern München – who beat them twice – but ahead of Barcelona, Simone Inzaghi's team went on to beat Portuguese duo Porto (1-0 h, 0-0 a) and Benfica (2-0 a, 3-3 h) to set up a Milan derby in the semi-finals. Inter came through that 3-0 on aggregate (2-0 a, 1-0 h) but Manchester City proved a bridge too far in the final, winning 1-0 in Istanbul.

Before last season, Inter had not won a Champions League knockout tie since 2010/11, when as holders they made it as far as the quarter-finals.

Inter have managed only eight victories in their last 20 away Champions League games (D5 L7) although they have won six of the last 11.

Champions of Europe in 1964, 1965 and 2010, Inter were third in Serie A last season, 18 points behind champions Napoli and two adrift of runners-up Lazio but two ahead of fourth-placed Milan. They also claimed the Coppa Italia for the ninth time and the second season in a row, two Lautaro Martínez goals beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final.

Links and trivia

Benfica president Rui Costa spent most of his playing career in Italy, representing Fiorentina for seven seasons (1994–2001) and AC Milan for five (2001–06).

After winning the Coppa Italia twice with Fiorentina, Rui Costa was part of the Milan side that lifted the Champions League in 2002/03, beating Juventus in the all-Italian final, and also claimed the UEFA Super Cup and the Coppa Italia the same year. He was also in the team that reached the 2004/05 Champions League final, losing on penalties to Liverpool in Istanbul.

Rui Costa's Milan team-mates included Filippo Inzaghi, the brother of Inter coach Simone.

João Mário scored four goals in 69 appearances in all competitions for Inter between 2016 and 2019.

Have also played in Italy:
Ángel Di María (Juventus 2022/23)
Arthur Cabral (Fiorentina 2022–23)

Cabral scored ten goals in 42 Serie A appearances for Inter, including one in a 4-3 home defeat against Inter on 22 October 2022.

Have played together:
David Neres & Davy Klaassen (Ajax 2017–22)
Juan Cuadrado & Ángel Di María (Juventus 2022/23)
João Mário & Marko Arnautović (West Ham 2018)

Benfica's Roger Schmidt coached Denzel Dumfries at PSV Eindhoven in 2020/21.

International team-mates:
Nicolás Otamendi, Ángel Di María & Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)
Hakan Çalhanoğlu & Orkun Kökçü (Turkey)
Di María, Nicolás Otamendi and Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)

Di María, Otamendi and Martínez were all part of Argentina's victorious squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Martínez and Di María scored Argentina's first two goals in a 3-0 win against Italy in the Finalissima at Wembley on 1 June 2022. Otamendi was also in the Argentina side while Nicolò Barella played 90 minutes for Italy.

Latest news

Benfica

Benfica have won 13 of their 19 games in all competitions in 2023/24 (D1 L5).

On Saturday they scored twice in the final 20 minutes to beat Famalicão 2-0 at home in the Portuguese Cup fourth round, Rafa Silva clinching the win by scoring for the second round in succession in the competition after an own goal had broken the deadlock.

The Eagles moved level on points with Sporting CP at the top of the Portuguese Liga with a dramatic home win against their Lisbon rivals on 12 November. Trailing 1-0 until beyond the 90th minute, added-time goals from João Neves (90+4) – his first of the season – and substitute Casper Tengstedt (90+8) snatched an unlikely three points.

Benfica were 2-0 winners at Arouca in their first Portuguese League Cup group stage on 31 October thanks to goals from Ángel Di María and Arthur Cabral.

Cabral's goal was his second for Benfica. He has played 12 matches in all competitions, both goals coming in his last five appearances.

The Eagles started the season with a 2-0 win against Porto in the Portuguese Super Cup on 9 August.

Ángel Di María, who returned to Benfica this summer, scored the first goal on his second club debut. He was also on target in the first game of the Liga campaign, a 3-2 loss at Boavista on 14 August.

Di María is Benfica's top scorer with seven goals in all competitions, one more than Rafa Silva. Petar Musa has four.

Alexander Bah (toe) has been out since Matchday 3, as had Orkun Kökçü (foot) before coming on as a late substitute on Sunday.

Juan Bernat has been out since 31 October with a left leg injury.

David Neres limped out of the 1-1 home draw against Casa Pia on 28 October with a knee injury and has not played since. He has undergone an operation that is expected to keep him out until the beginning of 2024.

Nicolás Otamendi scored the only goal as Argentina won in Brazil in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying on 22 November.

Roger Schmidt was voted coach of the 2022/23 season in the latest Liga Portugal Awards.

Inter

Inter have won ten of their 13 Serie A matches this season (D2 L1). On Sunday, their top-of-the-table contest against Juventus ended 1-1.

Lautaro Martínez scored Inter's equaliser, making it three goals in his last four club appearances in all competitions.

Martínez is Serie A's top scorer this season with 13 goals in as many games. The Argentinian has scored 15 in all competitions this term.

The Inter striker has scored 27 goals in Serie A in 2023. Only two Inter players have managed more goals in a calendar year in Serie A since 2000: Diego Milito (28 in 2012) and Christian Vieri (28 in 2001).

Thuram, who set up Martínez's strike at the weekend, has four goals and six assists in Serie A this season.

The draw ended the Nerazzurri's six-game winning run in all competitions since a 2-2 draw against Bologna on 7 October.

On 12 November the Milan club defeated Frosinone 2-0 courtesy of a spectacular long-range goal by Federico Dimarco and Hakan Çalhanoğlu's penalty.

Dimarco has provided four assists this season in Serie A, already his best for a single campaign.

Inter have earned 32 points from their first 13 Serie A games. They had surpassed 30 only once since Italy switched to three points for a win in 1994/95, picking up 34 at the same stage in 2019/20.

Inter have the best attack (30 goals scored) and defence (seven goals conceded) in the Italian top flight.

The win against Frosinone was Inter's eighth league clean sheet in 2023/24.

Inter will face Bologna at home in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 on 20 December.

Matteo Darmian scored Italy's first goal in a 5-2 UEFA EURO 2024 win against North Macedonia on 17 November. Three days later, he came on as a late substitute in the 0-0 draw away to Ukraine that secured a place at next summer's finals.

Dimarco, Francesco Acerbi, Nicolò Barella and Davide Frattesi also appeared in both games.

Thuram scored France's second goal in the UEFA EURO record 14-0 win against Gibraltar on 18 November.

Alessandro Bastoni had to withdraw from the Italy squad with a thigh injury and missed the weekend draw.

Alexis Sánchez also sat out the Juventus match having picked up a knock on international duty with Chile.

Benjamin Pavard suffered a knee injury in a 2-1 win at Atalanta on 4 November and is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.

Juan Cuadrado came on in the second half on Sunday having not played since 7 September due to tendinitis. He did not travel for international duty with Colombia in October but still suffered a recurrence of his Achilles tendon injury in training.

Striker Marko Arnautović returned as a substitute against Frosinone, his first appearance since suffering a thigh injury in a 1-0 win at Empoli on 24 September.

On 5 September coach Simone Inzaghi renewed his contract with Inter until 2025.

Inzaghi was among the three final candidates for the UEFA Coach of the Year Award but lost out to Pep Guardiola.

On 30 October Martínez and Barella finished 20th and 27th respectively in the 2023 Ballon d'Or voting.