Inter’s Champions League group comes as a sigh of relief to the Nerazzurri fans. As Inter were in Pot 3, the likelihood of ending up in the group of death was high. But, Conte’s side have managed to get a rather decent group with Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Monchengladbach. While Shakhtar and Monchengladbach are not necessarily easy teams to brush aside, they’re also not unbeatable. Unlike last season, Inter are favourites along with Real Madrid to progress to the next stage of the tournament.
The Nerazzurri will certainly find it daunting to take on Real Madrid. The Spanish Champions will look to top the group. But Inter can easily finish second if everything is done right. The Nerazzurri also have the tools to push Madrid for a top place finish.
Conte will want his side to perform well in this seasons Champions League. The Nerazzurri manager has a rather dismal record when it comes to the showpiece event. Despite winning the trophy as a player with Juventus, Conte has only made it as far as the last eight once. That was in his first year in the Champions League with Juventus. Since then, the former Italy boss has struggled to make his mark in the Champions League.
Inter’s Champions League group and a perfect squad
It’s ironical that Conte was complaining about the lack of depth in Inter’s squad last season. The Nerazzurri are the squad with probably the best bench in Europe this time around. And with five substitutions allowed, Conte can wreak havoc in this group. The Nerazzurri are prioritizing attacking football this season, which can really trouble the likes of Real Madrid. The Madrid outfit are not as good as they used to be a couple of seasons ago. But, the Nerazzurri will certainly have psychological pressure when facing Los Blancos.
It’s really hard to rule out the fact that Inter have the tools to top the group and Antonio Conte will try his best. It has been a very long time since the Nerazzurri put up a show at the biggest stage in Europe and this can very much be their time as Inter’s Champions League group presents an opportunity.
