Inter are fifth in the 36-team group stage, with 10 points from four games, including three straight wins after opening with a draw against Manchester City. Leipzig, however, remain one of five teams yet to earn a point. A loss on Tuesday would match their worst losing streak in the competition, having dropped five straight matches between February and October 2021 under Julian Nagelsmann and Jesse Marsch.
“Leipzig are a team with six years of Champions League experience, and until recently, they had the best defense in the Bundesliga,” Inzaghi said in Monday’s press conference. “In their four Champions League games, they deserved more—they’ve only been clearly outplayed by Celtic. They have a coach [Marco Rose] with years of experience and a squad full of quality players. Their position doesn’t reflect their European performances. We know they’re a strong side.”
Leipzig, currently third in the Bundesliga, lost 4-3 to Hoffenheim on Saturday. Their European campaign has seen narrow defeats to Atletico Madrid (2-1), Juventus (3-2), Liverpool (1-0), and Celtic (3-1).
Inter, meanwhile, boast an 11-game unbeaten streak at home in the Champions League (nine wins, two draws) with nine clean sheets. Despite their strong form, Inzaghi insists there’s room for improvement.
“We must keep pushing ourselves, especially during this positive moment,” he said, reflecting on their 5-0 Serie A win over Verona on Saturday. “We scored five goals in one half, but we also noticed mistakes that could’ve cost us. Every season presents new challenges, both in the league and in Europe.”
Inter, last season’s Scudetto winners and Champions League runners-up, are currently third in Serie A, trailing Napoli by one point and tied with Atalanta.
Midfielder Davide Frattesi is likely to miss the Leipzig game due to an ankle issue, while Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Lautaro Martínez are being monitored for fitness.
“Frattesi has been dealing with a minor ankle problem for 10 days,” Inzaghi said. “Çalhanoğlu and Lautaro missed the Verona game but trained well recently. I’ll assess the lineup tomorrow morning.”
Çalhanoğlu picked up a muscle issue during Turkey’s match against Wales on November 16, while Martínez returned from Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers with a brief illness.
