By Anna Italia
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Italian Soccer Serie A supports Serie A teams in the UEFA Champions League

47% Ball Possession INTER and 53% Ball Possession BENFICA

       Inter   1 – 0  Benfica 

62′ Marcus Thuram

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Inter won the UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group D against Benfica on Tuesday 3 October 2023 at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, Italy. With this victory, Inter joined Real Sociedad at the top of Group D with four points, Salzburg is in third place with three while Benfica remains last with zero points. Now Inzaghi’s team can make the decisive breakthrough for qualification in the double match against the Austrians scheduled for 24 October and 8 November. For Benfica, the next match against Real Sociedad takes on the flavor of a last resort.

Deserved victory for Inter who created an incredible series of chances in the second half, puncturing Trubin with Thuram in the 62nd minute following an assist from Dumfries. Then the Ukrainian goalkeeper engages and wins a sensational duel with Lautaro, denying him the goal twice with extraordinary saves. For the Inter captain, before Thuram’s goal, there was also a crossbar, a post and a goal already scored saved by Otamendi with a desperate intervention. After an overall balanced first half, Inter dominated, taking home the three points with the regret of not having rounded the score.

⚫🔵 Inter took the lead in the 62nd minute. Marcus Thuram defeated Benfica goalkeeper with a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Denzel Dumfries.

🏆👉 Inter 1 – 0 Benfica, 62nd minute, ⚽️ goal by Marcus Thuram for @Inter_en with a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner. The assist is by Denzel Dumfries. https://t.co/gWMKYhUf71

— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) October 3, 2023

Marcus Thuram comes through to break the deadlock for Inter. 💪 pic.twitter.com/m3gD8nq5dL

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 3, 2023

3 – Marcus Thuram is the third French player to score a goal in a #UCL match for Inter, after Vieira (2006 vs Bayern Munich) and Djorkaeff (1998 vs Sturm Graz). Cockerel.#InterBenfica pic.twitter.com/xgRhpCKYAe

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) October 3, 2023

✅  Stats before the game: Inter and Benfica face each other for the second consecutive season in the UEFA Champions League, with the Italian team winning 2-0 away before drawing 3-3 at home in last season’s quarter-finals. Benfica have never beaten Inter in all competitions (2D, 3L), losing the 1965 European Cup final, losing 4-3 on aggregate in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup round of 16 and, again on aggregate, 5 -3 in the quarter-finals of the last UEFA Champions League. There have been 13 goals scored in Inter’s two previous home matches against Benfica in European competitions: a 4-3 success for the Nerazzurri in March 2004 before a 3-3 draw in March this year. Inter have won four of their last five home matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage (L1), one more success than the previous 13 (W3, D5, L5). However, last season they lost their first home match in the group stage, 0-2 against Bayern Munich. Benfica have not lost any of their last 10 away games in European competition (W6 D4), their longest unbeaten run ever away in Europe. The latest defeat came against Bayern Munich in the group stage of the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League (2-5).

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🏟️ ⚫🔵   The Giuseppe Meazza Stadium is ready for Inter vs Benfica …. Inter choreography

📺 Click the video to watch Inter 1 – 0 Benfica highlights on Tuesday 3 October 2023

Photo via twitter.com/inter_en

🏆👉 First half is over Inter 0 – 0 Benfica

⚽️ Goals: 0

🟨 Booked: 0

✅ Shots on goals: Inter 2, Benfica 2
Corners: Inter 1, Benfica 2
Saves: Inter 2, Benfica 2

✍ Ball Possession: 47% @Inter_en and 53% @slbenfica_en @InterClubDC @SerieASitdown @TheCalcioGuys @InterClubLA https://t.co/4IbZ3T2nkD

— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) October 3, 2023

🏆👉 Result Inter 1 – 0 Benfica

⚽️ Goals: 62′ Marcus Thuram

🟨 Booked: 67′ Lautaro Martínez (I), 69′ Nicolò Barella (I), 70′ Dumfries (I), 96′ Asllani (I)

✍ Ball Possession: 47% @Inter_en and 53% @slbenfica_en

✅ https://t.co/y4FuFxA1O8@SerieASitdown @TheCalcioGuys https://t.co/Co8TRB5Q2u

— Anna Italia (@ItalianSerieA) October 3, 2023

Photo via twitter.com/inter_en

2023 – 2024 UEFA Champions League
Group Stage

Inter 1 – 0 Benfica
Tuesday 2 October 2023
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium
Milan, Italy

21:00

Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries (NED)
Fourth Official: Allard Lindhout (NED)
VAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)
AVAR: Nejc Kajtazović (SVN)
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner (AUT)

Goals:  ⚽️   62′ Marcus Thuram

Official lineups – formations – tabellino:

INTER (3-5-2): 1 Sommer; 28 Pavard, 15 Acerbi, 95 Bastoni; 2 Dumfries (36 Darmian 72′), 23 Barella (14 Klaassen 91′), 20 Calhanoglu (21 Asllani 82′), 22 Mkhitaryan, 32 Dimarco (30 Carlos Augusto 82′); 9 Thuram (70 Sanchez 72′), 10 Lautaro.

Substitutes: 12 Di Gennaro, 77 Audero, 6 De Vrij, 7 Cuadrado, 31 Bisseck, 49 Sarr.

Coach: Simone Inzaghi.

BENFICA (4-2-3-1):  1 Trubin; 6 Bah (44 Araujo 22′), 30 Otamendi, 5 Morato, 14 Bernat (9 Cabral 79′); 87 Joao Neves, 10 Kokcu (33 Musa 68′); 11 Di Maria (13 Jurasek 79′), 8 Aursnes, 27 Rafa Silva (22 Chiquinho 68′); 7 Neres.

Substitutes: 24 Soares, 45 Kokubo, 17 Gonçalo Guedes, 19 Tengstedt, 20 Joao Mario, 47 Antunes, 61 Florentino.

Coach: Roger Schmidt.