Inter begins their journey in a "bastard" Champions League, as Cristian Chivu defines it, full of pitfalls and difficulties. Opposite is Real Madrid, one of the favorites for the trophy, led by the Special One, the man who changed Nerazzurri history and also became a point of reference for Chivu. "Josè is a special person who I was lucky enough to meet. He gave me an important hand in a difficult moment in my life. I will never forget him. I shared good moments. He is a winner, without a shadow of a doubt. He knows how to convey certain things in certain moments, few are like him", recalls the Inter coach on the eve of the match.
The ambitions are high, although the Nerazzurri coach claims his own football thoughts: "I don't copy anyone and my idea is the result of my thoughts as a player and six years at the youth team". The desire is to reach the top like Inter did with Mourinho. "We have the obligation to write important pages of our history. The standards that this club has reached - underlines the coach - are important and we have the obligation to carry them forward". It's a romantic challenge, made up of entanglements, emotions, dreams. It is only the first match of the Champions League phase, but it has the flavor of the big matches that are decisive for the title. It is played at the Bernabeu where Inter won a Champions League with Chivu on the pitch and Mou on the bench. But sixteen years later, a lot has changed.
"This stadium is even more beautiful, modern, we are happy to play here. We haven't won here against Real for sixty years, many teams have struggled to win at the Bernabeu - he continues - We will do our best, but without distorting ourselves. We want to be dominant, we want to show that we have grown", explains Chivu. After winning the 'double' last season, it is no secret that the Nerazzurri club is aiming to go far in Europe. Inter have what it takes to reach the final stage, but must not be crushed by expectations. Mourinho - who appreciates Inter's play enough to say that they can play with their eyes closed - said he was surprised not to have seen Inter triumph in the Champions League. And Chivu's response is a dig at the Special One's pride: "The question to ask him is whether he wanted Inter to win. We have come far with the competence of the managers and the skill of the players who have been showing important things for years. With ideas and work, through merit and skill we are in a situation where many think we can do it."
Without Dimarco, who remained in Milan as a precaution after the slight injury to his knee suffered in the second half against Napoli, Carlos Augusto will be on the pitch; and it is not certain whether it will be time for a starting shirt for Stones and Jones. Chivu does not give training information, but admits that he would have preferred "to have more days of rest especially after a good and exhausting match like the one against Napoli". An exciting challenge that brought Thu-La back into the spotlight, starting at the Bernabeu and ready to take advantage of the spaces granted by the Blancos' high defense. "We are growing as a group, we have to play the best game possible. We are ready", says Lautaro Martinez. But the Champions League is not an obsession, nor a dream, simply an objective.
Champions: Real Madrid-Inter, lineups
Probable Real Madrid-Inter Champions League lineups scheduled for Tuesday 8 September in Madrid.
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konaté, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Bellingham; Diomande, Brahim Díaz, Vinícius Jr.; Mbappé (Lunin, Mestre, Navarro, Rüdiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Carreras, Fortea, J. Martínez, Cestero, Valero, Villalba, S. Martínez, Espí, Yáñez) Coach Mourinho Suspended: Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler, Bernardo Silva Unavailable: Éder Militão, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Rodrygo, Endrick, Thiago Pitarch
Inter (3-5-2): J. Martínez; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Diouf, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Carlos Augusto; Lautaro Martínez, Thuram (Provedel, Di Gennaro, Stones, Pavard, Djed Spence, Marello, Curtis Jones, Mkhitaryan, Sučić, Stankovic, Pio Esposito, Bonny, Luis Henrique) Coach Chivu Suspended: none Unavailable: Dimarco
Referee: Michael Oliver (Eng)
