Champions League

Inter/ Liverpool

So, well done English teams, four of you in the last eight of the Champions League. Brilliant. But wait! One of them isn't quite there yet. Liverpool still have to hold on against Inter Milan tonight, and while they haven't lost a game by two goals or more all season, Inter are still champions of Italy, and the coin-throwing white supremacist section of Inter's fans aren't likely to extend the hand of friendship either. A former Scouse colleague of the Wager claimed that Liverpool people are particularly well suited to handling tough places as "we are used to strangers coming up and shouting in our faces every day anyway." However, no one can be ignorant of Liverpool's ownership fiasco, Rafa Benitez's tenuous grip on reality and the general danger of premature chicken counting. The Wager reckons that Liverpool's wheels have been threatening to come off all season, and that tonight's the night it all goes wrong.

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Inter
Last six: WLDDLW
Last six home: WDWWDW
Last six Champions League: LWWWWW
Injuries: Chivu (shoulder, doubt for the game)
Suspensions: Materazzi

LIVERPOOL
Last six: WWWWWL
Last six away: WDLDDD
Last six Champions League: WWWWLL
Injuries: Voronin (os trigonum syndrome, no return date); Finnan (Hamstring, unknown)
Suspensions: None
Other: Alonso (Wife having a baby)

Headline Trends

» Since losing at Anfield three weeks ago, Inter Milan haven't been in the greatest of form, with one win, one defeat and two draws.

» In contrast Liverpool have been flying with four straight wins - scoring thirteen goals in the process (3.25 per game).

» Inter Milan have won five and drawn one of their last six games at home in the Champions League. The last team to go Inter Milan and win was Bayern Munich in the first group game of last season.

Liverpool

» Liverpool have scored a remarkable eight goals in the final ten minutes of their last five Champions League games.

» Rafa Benitez has taken Liverpool to Italy before. They played Juventus in the Quarter-finals on route to winning the tournament in 2005 (they drew 0-0). And the time before they also drew 0-0 – with Roma, 2001.

» chickendinner superfact: Steven Gerrard has scored in his last five Champions League outings.

» There was a goal in the first fifteen minutes of all three of Liverpool's Champions League away group games this season.

» Liverpool are usually good for a goal in Europe – they've only failed to score in one of their last eleven European games (home and away).

Inter

» chickendinner superfact: Inter have only failed to score in one of the last thirteen home European games.

» Inter Milan have a resolute defence at the San Siro, conceding just eight in fourteen league games this season.

» This is the ninth time Inter Milan have gone into a European second leg having lost the first leg 2-0. They have managed to make it through in three of those situations – most recently beating Strasbourg 3-0 in the 1997/98 Uefa Cup.

» Inter Milan have however not been beaten at home domestically or in Europe for eleven months.

» Inter Milan have hit fourteen goals in the last six home games, scoring an average of 2.3 per game.

Any other business

» Betting on goals? The last eight matches Inter Milan have contested have all finished under 2.5 goals.

» Should the game end 0-0 it would be the first time Inter Milan have drawn 0-0 at home in a league or European game for almost three years. Their last 0-0 at home in Serie A or Europe was against Reginna in May 2005.

» chickendinner Da Vinci Code insight: The two sides played in 1965 and Liverpool led 3-1 from the home leg, but lost 3-0 in Milan.

11/03/08

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