Last season’s UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan will kick-start the new campaign with an away game against Eredivisie giants Ajax.

Having made a disappointing start to the new season, Serie A giants Inter Milan will look to get their campaign back on track when they face Ajax in Matchday 1 of the Champions League. The Dutch outfit are unbeaten in the league and will look to continue their good form when they host last season’s finalist at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Wednesday.

Ajax have three wins and two draws from their first five league games of the season. While they have not been at their best, the Eredivisie giants have made a steady start to the campaign. They are heading into this fixture on the back of an impressive win over PEC Zwolle and will be looking to build on that momentum.

Having missed out on Champions League football last season, Ajax will be eager to put up a strong showing this time around. They have only reached the knockout stages of the competition once since making it to the semi-final in 2019, so they certainly have their work cut out.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan have not had the best of starts to the new season. After opening with a win, the Nerazzurri now head into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats in Serie A, and they will be eager to turn things around in this away clash.

Inter did make it to the final last season but were smashed 5-0 by PSG. It was a highly disappointing result for the Serie A giants, as they were no match for Luis Enrique’s team. They will be looking to put that defeat behind them and start the new campaign on a positive note. The Hard Tackle take a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

Ajax

The home team will be without the services of Branco van den Boomen, as he is yet to recover from his injury. Apart from the Dutch midfielder, everyone else is expected to be available for selection as they haven’t reported any fresh injury concerns.

Ajax will most likely field the exact team that started in their last outing when they take on Inter Milan. The hosts will line up in a 4-3-3, where Vitezslav Jaros will be in goal. Anton Gaaei and Owen Wijndal are expected to be the full-backs, while Ko Itakura and Youri Baas should feature in the heart of the defence.

In the centre of the park, Kenneth Taylor will take up the holding role, and he will have the support of Youri Regeer and Davy Klaassen. The trio will look to ensure they do not allow the Inter Milan midfielders to dominate the proceedings.

In the final third, Mika Godts and Steven Berghuis will provide much-needed width to their attacks, while Wout Weghorst will lead the line for Ajax against Inter Milan on Wednesday night.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Jaros; Gaaei, Itakura, Baas, Wijndal; Regeer, Taylor, Klaassen; Berghuis, Weghorst, Godts

Inter Milan

Inter Milan have a fully fit squad heading into this fixture, and it will be interesting to see if Cristian Chivu decides to make any changes to the team that lost to Juventus last time out.

They will stick with the 3-5-2 formation, where Yann Sommer will be in goal. Summer signing Manuel Akanji will start alongside Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni in the central defensive unit.

Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco should continue as the full-backs. In the centre of the park, Hakan Calhanoglu will take up the holding role, and he will have Nicolo Barella and Petar Sucic in his support. Finally, skipper Lautaro Martinez should partner with Marcus Thuram in the final third.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Key Stats

• The two teams have faced each other on five occasions in the Champions League; historically, Inter have the upper hand, having won three of those games.
• The last time Ajax faced Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League was back in the 2005/06 season. Inter drew the away game and won the home fixture to knock the Dutch giants out of the competition.
• Ajax’s only win over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League came in the final back in 1971/72 (2-0).
• The Dutch outfit have only made it to the knockout rounds on one out of their last four attempts.
• Inter Milan are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive defeats in the league.

Player to Watch

Lautaro Martinez

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The 28-year-old Argentine World Cup winner was one of Milan’s standout performers last season, netting 24 goals and providing seven assists across 53 appearances. The Inter Milan captain will be determined to replicate that form in the current campaign.

Martinez has already registered a goal and an assist in his first three league games, both coming in their win over Torino. Having gone goalless in the last two fixtures, the experienced striker will be keen to reassert his influence and make an impact with a goal or two in this crucial clash.

Prediction

Ajax 0-2 Inter Milan

Inter Milan will look to bounce back from their recent struggles in Serie A by making a statement in their Champions League opener against Ajax. Despite suffering consecutive defeats in Serie A, the Nerazzurri possess the firepower and experience to turn things around.

Ajax, on the other hand, will enter the game full of confidence after an unbeaten start in the Eredivisie. However, their European record in recent years paints a less convincing picture, with only one knockout qualification in the last four attempts.

The home side will look to stay compact and hit Inter on the break, but they will struggle to maintain defensive solidity against a sharper and more experienced Inter side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Cristian Chivu and his charges.