Champions League | League Stage

Oct 23, 2024 at 8pm UK

Stadion Wankdorf (Bern)

Young Boys vs Inter Milan

Match preview

After a promising start to the season with a draw against Manchester City, Inter secured their first Champions League win of the season with a 4-0 victory against Red Star Belgrade at San Siro a couple of weeks later.

Coach Simone Inzaghi is sticking with most of the squad that made it to the 2023 final. He's hoping their experience will help them make it through to the knockout rounds. So far, his starting XIs have made Inter the only club with an average age above 30.

Since Inzaghi started coaching them in the 2021 Champions League, they've kept more clean sheets than anyone else. They've even had four in their last five games! It seems like their recent European adventures have been all about playing it safe.

They've recently started to concede goals in Serie A, where they also score at a rate of more than two per game. However, the Nerazzurri have bounced back from their derby defeat to AC Milan by winning three domestic games, in addition to seeing off Red Star.

All in all, Inter have only lost once in ten games this season. They're heading to Bern on the back of beating Roma in a close match on Sunday evening. Lautaro Martínez scored the winning goal at the end of a quick counterattack.

However, the Scudetto holders haven't won any of their last three Champions League away games, so Inzaghi will be looking for them to end that run at Stadion Wankdorf.

Young Boys must be feeling a bit nervous about their first competitive meeting with Inter. It looks like even home advantage might not help them keep their Italian counterparts at arm's length.

The Swiss champions are one of eight teams to have lost both of their first two Champions League fixtures, while conceding eight goals in the process. Last time out, they were thumped 5-0 by Barcelona at Montjuic, two weeks after a humbling home defeat to Aston Villa.

Their second setback left them at the bottom of the 36-team standings, with a lot of work to do if they want to qualify for the playoffs.

Both games got off to a slow start, with Young Boys conceding five of their eight goals in the first half. No other team has shipped more before the break.

Only Inter's last opponents, Red Star, have lost more of their first 20 Champions League matches than the Bern club (13), and even their previously dominant performance at home has suffered this term.

The reigning champions have only won two of their first 10 Swiss Super League matches, and they recently fired their former boss, Patrick Rahmen. Joel Magnin, who coaches the under-21s, has taken over on an interim basis and led YB to a 2-1 win over former leaders Luzern at the weekend.

Recent Performance

Young Boys Champions League form:WWLL

Young Boys form (all competitions):LWLLLW

Inter Milan Champions League form:DW

Inter Milan form (all competitions):DLWWWW

Injuries and suspensions

Young Boys

6 Patric Pfeiffer

4 Tanguy Zoukrou

5 Anel Husic

50 Sadin Crnovrsanin

17 Saidy Janko

14 Miguel Chaiwa

30 Sandro Lauper

31 Facinet Conte

Inter Milan

20 Hakan Çalhanoğlu

21 Kristjan Asllani

7 Piotr Zieliński

Possible starting lineups

Young Boys possible starting lineup:

Van Ballmoos; Athekame, Camara, Benito, Hadjam; Niasse, Lakomy; Monteiro, Ugrinic, Colley; Itten

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Frattesi, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Taremi