This will be the fourth meeting between Benfica and Internazionale in European competition, and first since the Last 16 stage of the 2003-04 Uefa Cup. Benfica are winless in the previous three, drawing one and losing the other two.
The one previous meeting between Benfica and Internazionale in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League came in 1965, when the Italian side won 1-0 in s final played at the Giuseppe Meazza.
Benfica already have two wins over Italian opposition in the Uefa Champions League this term, beating Juventus home and away in the group stage. Prior to the 2022-23 campaign, they had only won two of 11 matches against Italian sides in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League (D2 L7).
Internazionale secured their place in this season’s Uefa Champions League quarterfinal after eliminating Portuguese side FC Porto in the previous round. Simone Inzaghi’s side won 1-0 on aggregate across both legs, despite the expected goals aggregate in the tie being 2.1 – 3.5.
Benfica are looking to record five consecutive victories in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League for the first time since the 1989-90 campaign, when they won six in a row in route to reaching the final that season (lost 1-0 v AC Milan).
Internazionale are unbeaten in their last three games in the knockout stages of the Uefa Champions League (W2 D1), while they haven’t conceded a goal in any of those. The Nerazzurri could keep four consecutive clean sheets in the knockout stages of the competition for the first time.
Benfica have attempted more shots following high turnovers than any other side in the Uefa Champions League this season (18), while they have scored five goals after recovering possession in this manner (within 40 metres of the opposition goal) – a joint-high along with Napoli (5).
The average starting distance of Internazionale’s sequences of play in the Uefa Champions League this term is 38.2 yards from their own goal, with Simone Inzaghi’s side recovering possession the furthest away from the opposition goal – on average – of any side involved in this season’s quarterfinals.
Rafa has scored five goals in eight appearances for Benfica in the Uefa Champions League this season, having only netted twice in 22 games in the competition prior to the current campaign.
Seven of Lautaro Martínez’s eight goals for Internazionale in the Uefa Champions League have been scored away from home – if he finds the net in this match, he would equal Sandro Mazzola and fellow Argentinean Hernán Crespo (8) as the joint-top scorers for the club away from home in the European Cup/Uefa Champions League.