Inter Milan Faces Feyenoord in Crucial UEFA Champions League Match

Inter Milan will travel to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord on Tuesday at Stadion Feijenoord "De Kuip" for matchday four of the UEFA Champions League league phase. Both teams enter the fixture with three points from their first three matches, placing Inter 21st and Feyenoord 26th in the tournament standings.

The Nerazzurri arrive in the Netherlands following a 3-1 defeat to AC Milan in the domestic league over the weekend, which marked their first Serie A loss of the season. Speaking ahead of the match, forward Marcus Thuram emphasized that the squad needs a change in mentality. "I fully agree with what they said," Thuram stated, backing recent comments from teammates Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni regarding the team's attitude. "They're two leaders, and their words were important."

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu expressed confidence in his players despite recent setbacks, including a tough stretch in Europe that featured consecutive defeats against Club Brugge and Real Madrid. "I believe in hard work and I believe in this team, in what they've achieved and what they can still achieve," Chivu said during the pre-match press conference. He added that the team is taking the tournament one game at a time, estimating that around 16 points will be needed to secure a top-eight finish.

The Italian side faces a challenging injury list, missing key players such as Lautaro Martínez, Benjamin Pavard, and others, though Pavard has returned to training with the squad. To cope with absences, Chivu has named a 3-5-2 lineup featuring Yann Sommer in goal, alongside defenders Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji, and Carlos Augusto, while Marcus Thuram and Pio Esposito lead the attack.

Feyenoord, managed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, will line up in a 4-3-3 formation. The Dutch side holds home-field advantage in what Chivu described as a hostile environment. While Feyenoord has struggled with 10 losses in their last 13 matches in major European competitions, all three of their victories during this period came at home, including a win over Como in the current Champions League campaign.

Historically, the only previous meetings between Feyenoord and Inter in the Champions League occurred during the 2024/25 round of 16, where the Italian side secured victories in both legs. As both clubs sit on three points, a victory is vital for keeping playoff aspirations alive under the new league phase format.

Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg will officiate the match, assisted by countrymen Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Söderkvist, with Tomasz Kwiatkowski serving as the VAR.