Just when it looked like Liverpool were going to get some respite, and secure a much-needed three points in the Premier League, Ao Tanaka equalised for Leeds in the 96th minute, condemning the Reds to their second successive draw. Zooming out, the situation is looking bleak for Arne Slot’s men, with just four wins from their last 15 matches across all competitions dating back to September. 

In that stretch, Liverpool have lost nine matches, meaning they currently sit 9th in the Premier League standings, in what has been a dreadful title defence so far. They have been left wanting at the back - with 24 goals conceded, only the Premier League bottom five have shipped more goals, which is a serious issue to address. 

Meanwhile, Inter Milan are battling near the top of the Serie A standings, and come into this clash in a rich vein of form.

While they were beaten 2-1 by Atletico Madrid on their last European outing, Inter Milan still had plenty of chances. The Nerazzurri racked up 17 shots and three big chances at the Metropolitano, which amounted to 1.42 xG. Cristian Chivu’s men were denied by some key saves from Juan Musso, who was a standout performer on the night. 

Facing Diego Simeone’s men in Madrid is never an easy matchup, but Inter Milan looked strong in the final third, which has been a theme all season. Over 2.5 goals has landed in four of their five European games this season, as they have scored 12 goals in total.

Liverpool’s results in the Champions League have been inconsistent, but they are averaging 3.6 goals per game. The Reds were picked apart by PSV at Anfield last time out, with that game finishing 4-1 to the Dutch side.

Lautaro Martinez should be licking his lips at the prospect of facing this Liverpool backline. The Argentine already has four Champions League goals to his name after four appearances - the only team he failed to score against was Atletico Madrid, but even then, he registered three shots, hitting the target once. 

Martinez has been a key reason for Inter’s success this season, and he is averaging 4.34 shots per 90 in all competitions - no Inter Milan player has taken more shots than the captain this campaign. 

The 28-year-old has been a real leader from the front, and comes into this clash in excellent form. After scoring 22 goals in all competitions last season, Martinez already has 11 goals to his name after just 18 appearances this term, with three of those goals coming in his last two starts alone.

Martinez’s contributions don’t stop there, and the centre forward has added more than just goals. He is the one who leads the press for Inter Milan, and they have been an intense side to face this season. Martinez is averaging 1.86 fouls per 90 in all competitions, as he tends to drop into deeper areas at times to give opposing midfielders a tough time on the ball. 

Because of that, he should find duels with Ryan Gravenberch, who has remained a consistent figure in Liverpool’s midfield, playing the full 90 in each of the last eight games straight. He has landed this selection in seven of those matches, and is averaging 1.47 fouls drawn per 90 for the season in total. This bet has landed in all four of his starts in the Champions League, as he was fouled twice against both PSV and Real Madrid.

Marcus Thuram started the season hot, with five goals in the first four games of the season, including a brace against Ajax on Matchday 1 of the Champions League. The Frenchman was hampered by injury throughout October, but made his return after a four-week hiatus, and has looked back to his best in recent weeks.

The 28-year-old scored twice from his five shots against Venezia in the Coppa Italia, and followed that up with another goal against Como at the weekend. Averaging 4.47 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, Thuram has been a difficult player to contain, and will hope to capitalise on defensive weaknesses apparent in Liverpool’s backline.

Thuram is a major threat from set pieces, which is an area where Liverpool have struggled this season. In fact, all three of his shots against Como came from dead ball situations, including his goal.

Behind Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram and Federico Dimarco, Hakan Calhanoglu has registered the 4th-most shots for Inter Milan this season across all competitions, averaging 2.4 per 90. The 31-year-old has been a key figure in midfield, and has already chipped in with seven goals from just 16 starts. That includes a goal against Como at the weekend, which was a fantastic strike from outside the box. 

That has been a trend all season - Calhanoglu fancies his chances from distance, with 26 of his 30 Serie A efforts coming from outside the box. With four of those converting into goals, the Turkish international strikes a ball cleanly and tends to be accurate.

The main allure here is the fact that Calhanoglu is also the designated penalty taker for Inter Milan, and Liverpool have shown a lack of composure in their own box. Ibrahima Konate gave away a penalty against Leeds last time out, which was the third spot kick the Reds have conceded this season.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Man City had formed a real rivalry over the last few years, with those two teams operating at the highest level in the Premier League. Manuel Akanji was a bit part of the Cityzens’ squad before being sold to Inter Milan in the summer, so he will have a bit of extra motivation to perform here. 

The Swiss picked up a yellow card in his last meeting against Liverpool, which was a 2-0 loss at Anfield back in December 2024. Out of his six head-to-head encounters against the Reds, he was booked twice, which makes this price appeal. 

While his average of 0.74 fouls per 90 for Inter Milan is nothing to write home about, Akanji has seen an uptick in infringements in recent weeks, with seven fouls in his last five starts. He has been booked in two of those matches, including against Como at the weekend.