Inter vs Sheriff: Nerazzurri desperately seeking result in UCL
Inter will be looking for a much needed win when they welcome Eastern European outfit Sheriff to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Tuesday evening. The reigning Scudetto champions have not had a smooth ride in this season’s Champions League tournament, first suffering a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Real Madrid and then failing to fire in a frustrating scoreless draw with Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar. As such, with just one point from their first two games, Simone Inzaghi’s men find themselves in third spot, while shockingly, it’s Sheriff who actually are on top of the table after two rounds.
The Eastern European minnows, who are making their debut in this competition, were quickly dismissed by most people due to their lack of experience. Indeed, many figured they’d be the proverbial whipping boys of Group D, and the battle for top spot would be between Inter and Real Madrid, with Shakhtar maybe pushing for third spot. However, Sheriff’s fans are having the last laugh – at least for now. Having already beaten Shakhtar and most shockingly, Inter, the visitors will be aiming to go for a third victory, which could potentially guarantee them a spot in the round of 16 depending on how Real Madrid’s game with Shakhtar goes.
What’s most surprising is the fact that Sheriff are actually the highest scoring side in this quartet (four goals) while conceding the fewest goals (just one). Those are the kind of numbers one would expect Real Madrid to be posting, and perhaps even Inter, but no, it’s the small club, largely known outside their region, who are leading the way. Of course, plenty could change between now and the end of the group stages, but at the very least, Sheriff and their legions of supporters will be satisfied with how they’ve done so far in their first ever foray into European club football’s top competition.
Inter, for their part, come into this match having suffered a very disappointing result in Serie A. Indeed, Inzaghi’s return to the Stadio Olimpico was nothing short of disappointing, as his new team ended up losing 3-1 to his former side. Despite taking an early lead through Ivan Perisic’s penalty, the second half was all way one traffic as Lazio scored three goals sans reply to condemn the Nerazzurri to their first loss of the season.
Keeping clean sheets has been an issue for Inter, who have only managed this feat twice in their last ten matches across all comps this season. The first was during their resounding 4-0 win over Genoa on matchday one to kick off their Scudetto defense, and the second, during their scoreless stalemate with Shakhtar. Meanwhile, Sheriff are on a five game winning streak across all comps, and will be eager to add another scalp to their collection as the heavily unfavored side continues to surprise everyone. In short, it could be said that in the absence of expectations, success can come in unexpected ways.
So, as many tune in as the Champions League returns this Tuesday, will Inter avoid becoming the latest side to suffer an embarrassing result to the debutants? Or will Sheriff continue their unexpected run on the biggest stage they’ve ever featured on in club history?
