With Barcelona to come in Group C, Julian Nagelsmann is desperate for a successful trip to Italy.
"It's a very demanding group full of challenges," says the Bayern coach.
"We have to be ready right from the start."
Inter, nine matches unbeaten at home, will be ready too.
Did you know?
Bayern were the top scorers in the group stage last season with 22 goals.
STATS AND NUMBERS
Inter Milan and Bayern Munich have met on seven previous occasions in European competition, with both sides sharing three victories apiece (D1). One of Internazionale’s three victories against the German side came in the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2009-10 (2-0). Catch the action live on SuperSport.
Bayern Munich have a 100% away record against Internazionale in European competition (3/3), with each of their three total victories against them coming on the road. The most recent of those was a 1-0 win in the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League back in 2010-11.
Inter’s last 10 games against German sides in the UEFA Champions League have seen a total of 39 goals scored (19 for, 20 against), at an average of 3.9 per match. Indeed, their last three such games have seen them both score and concede 2+ goals (2-3 v Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20, 2-2 and 3-2 v Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2020-21).
Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their previous 10 meetings with Italian opposition in the UEFA Champions League (W8 D2) since a defeat to Internazionale in March 2011. In fact, the last Italian team to keep a clean sheet against Bayern in the competition was Inter in the 2009-10 final (2-0), with the German side netting in each of their 14 such games since then (36 goals).
Inter have only opened a UEFA Champions League campaign with a victory in one of the last six tournaments when they’ve played their first game at home (D3 L2), beating Spurs 2-1 in 2018-19. They are winless in the last three campaigns, drawing against Slavia Prague in 2019-20 and Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2020-21, before losing to the eventual winners Real Madrid last term.
Since 2003-04, Bayern Munich have won all 18 of their opening group stage games of a UEFA Champions League campaign. The German side have scored 45 goals and only conceded twice across these 18 games, while they’ve won the most recent nine by an aggregate score of 27-0.
Romelu Lukaku has been directly involved in 17 goals in 16 games for Internazionale in European competition (13 goals, four assists), including eight in 10 appearances in the UEFA Champions League (six goals, two assists).
Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mané could become just the fourth African player to reach 25 goals in the UEFA Champions League (currently on 24), after Didier Drogba (44), Mohamed Salah (36) and Samuel Eto’o (30).
Among players to have scored 5+ goals for Internazionale in the UEFA Champions League, only Adriano (125) and Julio Cruz (132) have a better minutes per goal ratio for the club than Romelu Lukaku (142).
No player created more chances following a carry (moving 5+ metres with the ball) than Kingsley Coman in the UEFA Champions League last season (12), while only Vinícius Júnior (48) and Mohamed Salah (31) made more carries featuring a take-on than the Bayern Munich winger (26).
WHAT THEY SAID?
Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern coach: “I've never been to San Siro as a coach. I'm looking forward to the game and the stadium. A good start is important. I'm confident that we'll do well. Bayern are and should always be among the favourites to win the Champions League; a club of this size and with this history should aspire to being among the favourites.”
Simone Inzagi, Inter coach: “We know we have to get ten points in this group, which is much more difficult than last year, but we are Inter and we have an opportunity to take on Bayern, one of the three or four favourites to win the competition. Sadio Mané? A great footballer: he has a crazy intensity both going forward and in defence. He does everything with an intensity that hits you.”
Inter: Handanovic; Škriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Çalhanoglu, Gosens; Lautaro Martínez, Džeko
Out: Lukaku (thigh)
Doubtful: none
Bayern: Neuer; Pavard, De Ligt, Hernández, Davies; Kimmich, Sabitzer; Müller, Gnabry, Coman; Mané
Out: Sarr (knee)
Doubtful: Tel (joint capsule)