Uefa Champions League (Europe)

The Serie A leaders are second in the table, behind Real Sociedad on goal difference, with two games left.

The pair have already qualified and are fighting for top spot, with RB Salzburg and Benfica out of contention.

Inter face Benfica in Portugal on Wednesday and Inzaghi is not prepared to settle for second place.

He told a pre-match press conference: “Our work is not done yet; there is first place to be earned and we must play well against Benfica. We know that Real Sociedad are still technically top of the group.

“It is the fourth time we are facing Benfica in six months but it will be even more difficult on their own turf, because the crowd really push them on.”

Inzaghi is expected to make changes with Alexis Sanchez available after missing the draw at Juventus. Yann Aurel Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi, Stefan de Vrij and Davy Klaassen are also poised to start.

Benfica lost 1-0 to Inter in October and have lost all four games in Group D but sit top of the Primeira Liga, ahead of Porto on goal difference.

Roger Schmidt’s side cannot qualify for the last 16 but still have a chance of finishing third in the group and are three points behind RB Salzburg with two matches left.

Schmidt said: “We know what to expect from Inter. The fact that they are already qualified does not mean that they will play in a very different way.

“They have their ambitions at this stage of the Champions League. We have to be focused on our game. We are not happy with our situation, but we have the opportunity to win a game against Inter, who have been performing well.”

Defender Morato also has his sights set on reaching the Europa League by finishing third.

He added: “This match represents everything for us. There are two games left, and we didn’t achieve the main objective of qualifying for the round of 16, but we want to continue in the Europa League next year.

“We will go in search of victory, as always, and we have to take a big step.”

The striker has 25 goals in 29 games for I Partenopei this season, but sustained a thigh injury while representing Nigeria during last month's international break, causing him to miss last Sunday's 4-0 loss to Milan.

Napoli recovered from that humbling and took themselves closer to a first Scudetto in 30 years with a 2-1 win at Lecce on Friday, when Osimhen was again absent.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo's header was cancelled out by Federico Di Francesco, before a second-half own goal from Antonino Gallo handed Napoli three points.

"It wasn't easy to secure this result after last Sunday's defeat and some injuries," Spalletti said at a post-match press conference. "A delicate situation had arisen, due to how we lost [to Milan] and because the Rossoneri are our next opponents in the Champions League. 

"Then everyone thinks these are filler games but that's not the case. It was essential to demonstrate that we were able to express ourselves again on good levels and that we had that kind of character. 

"For this I congratulate the players. These three points give us peace of mind to face the next matches."

On Osimhen, Spalletti revealed: "We need to see how he reacts to strong physical activities, so far he's done some basic jogging.

"It's difficult without him, because he has this way of running into space, this physicality, he can draw everyone to him and create the space for his team-mates.

"[Giacomo] Raspadori had a good first half tonight, he linked up well with the midfielders. We could have done it even better, because we brought too many balls back to the two centre-backs when there wasn't a need. On the pitch, however, we were balanced."

Giovanni Simeone replaced Raspadori in the second half, but was forced off with a knee injury soon after, potentially giving Spalletti a selection issue for the Milan game should Osimhen not recover in time.

"We need to evaluate [Simeone] carefully," he said. "It appeared to be a muscular problem, then the knee, then above the knee. When he tried to come back on again, he felt the muscle harden and it was best not to risk it any further."

Alongside their dominance in this season's Serie A that sees them closing in on a first league title since the 1989-90 campaign, Napoli have also reached the last eight of Europe's top club competition for the first time.

But an Ismael Bennacer goal meant Spalletti's side slipped to a 1-0 defeat in last week's first leg at San Siro, while midfielder Frank Zambo Anguissa also saw red to leave the Partenopei without one of their key men as they look to overturn the one-goal deficit at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.

Spalletti, however, believes Napoli should head into the game feeling optimistic, and not under pressure, telling reporters at his pre-match press conference: "Being in the Champions League at this point is already something important.

"We want to move forward, we want to win, so we'll play to win. Then we'll see where we'll end up.

"We believe we can do more. There is no risk in tomorrow's match, we risk infinite happiness. If you win, you go even further."

Napoli lost at San Siro despite having more shots, possession and attempts on target than their opponents, and Spalletti feels his team will have to replicate that performance again on home soil.

"We have to do as in the first leg, where we came out with a slight disadvantage," Spalletti said. "In general, the performance I expect is that of the first leg.

"I am convinced that important situations can only be created if we perform at a high level, if we are intense, if we are good at finding those spaces and getting out of them as fast as possible. I think it will be the same tomorrow night because the team deserves to perform well."

Napoli are looking to come from behind against one of the Champions League's most successful teams, with only Real Madrid (14) winning the competition on more occasions than Milan's seven.

Asked whether he felt there was still a gap in European experience between his players and the Rossoneri's, Spalletti replied: "We're creating experience for ourselves.

"We've played many games in the Champions League, on pitches where we've shown character and personality, I don't see why it should be different now.

"But there's always the possibility to overturn any result and I expect the team to be able to do all the things needed.

"We have to think about playing the game in a normal way, putting everything we have into it. This level of football and competition is a reward for the players, for what has been done so far, a reward for the city for all the affection it has for these players, and we will have to give everything."

A June 10 clash with Inter Milan in Istanbul beckons after a spectacular display of skill, strength and nous at a rocking Etihad Stadium against the reigning champions on Wednesday.

City drew 1-1 with Champions League kings Madrid last week and ran out 4-0 victors as Bernardo Silva’s brace was complemented by an own goal from Eder Militao and substitute Julian Alvarez’s effort in a stunning last-four display.

The 5-1 aggregate triumph felt particularly sweet after City’s 2021 final loss to Chelsea was compounded by last year’s agonising semi-final exit to Madrid.

“Listen, I had the feeling these last days that we had a mix of calm and tension to play this type of game,” Guardiola said of that heart-breaking late 6-5 aggregate extra-time loss last term.

“After 10 or 15 minutes, I had the feeling that all the pain that we had during one year from what happened last season was there today.

“It was so hard and tough last season when we played quite similar to today and I remember Toni Kroos gave an interview saying they could have lost 10-1 or 10-2 at the Etihad.

“Kroos is one of the best players I have ever seen and trained and when he says that it means we were there and it was really tough losing the way we lose.

“In that moment, we had to swallow poison and football and sport always gives you another chance.

“When the draw was Madrid, I said ‘yeah I want it’. I wanted it because I think today everything was there – the energy we had from a year of being criticised as players for not having character when we lost because it was football.

“Today it was there and I’m pleased for the whole organisation – for the chairman, owner, staff and especially all the players because we accepted the defeat and today we were there.”

City are overwhelming favourites with bookmakers to beat Inter, just as they are to lift the FA Cup against rivals Manchester United seven days before that date with destiny in Turkey.

Guardiola’s men are also odds-on to complete the treble, which they can kick off this weekend by wrapping up the Premier League title against Chelsea.

“We are one game away from winning the Premier League for three years in a row, and we have been in two Champions League finals and one semi-final,” he said.

“That is consistency. I always put the example of being Carabao Cup winners for four years in a row. That means the level of this team.

“There is one incredible detail in this team that I’m so proud of – they are so humble. It doesn’t matter the competition, they take every game seriously because they are so humble.

“I hate arrogance in sport, the moment that you believe you are something you are not. These guys have not done this for many years and today we got the reward they deserve.

“A final against an Italian team, people will say we are favourites and that is the worst that can happen but we have time to prepare and now we focus on Chelsea because we have to try to close the Premier League as soon as possible because we have to prepare for United and Inter Milan.”

As for dethroned champions Madrid, manager Carlo Ancelotti had no arguments with City’s progression.

“I think that tonight Manchester City deserved to win because they played better than us,” the Italian said.

“Last season was different. This season they deserve to reach the final and fight for the final. They were better than us as we were better than them last season.”

Having lost three of their opening four Group A matches, Erik ten Hag’s side managed to throwaway a two-goal second-half lead in Istanbul as a pulsating, helter-skelter clash ended 3-3.

Wednesday’s result leaves United bottom of the pool with only the home clash with already qualified Bayern Munich to come in a fortnight’s time.

Copenhagen’s draw in Germany later that day keeps the Red Devils’ faint chances of progressing alive, but they must win their final game and hope Copenhagen draw with Galatasaray.

“We have to wait and see,” McTominay told the PA news agency. “It’s not in our hands.

“We’ve put ourselves in that position and we have to own it and that’s football.

“We kept our cool really well, I felt like throughout large portions of the game.

“Obviously towards the end it gets a little bit like a basketball game where everyone’s up and down and some tired legs and stuff like that.

“We need to rest, recover and there’s is a big game coming up on Saturday, which we will be ready for as well.”

United have little time to recover from their draining night in Turkey as attention turns to Saturday evening’s Premier League trip to Newcastle.

All eyes are sure to be on goalkeeper Onana in the North East after the summer signing endured another chastening Champions League night for the Red Devils.

Guilty of gaffes away to Bayern and in the reverse fixture against Galatasaray, the Cameroon international was somehow beaten by two Hakim Ziyech free-kicks on Wednesday.

The second was particularly shocking and proved the catalyst to the hosts’ comeback but McTominay refused to blame him and acknowledged that outfield players should have put the game to bed.

“We’re so disappointed not to come away with more goals than three, to be honest,” said the midfielder, who had put United 3-1 up in the 55th minute.

“If you had said that to us before the evening started (we would score three) we would have been delighted with that, hopefully get another clean sheet.

“But football’s football. There’s mistakes and different things that can happen in the game and it’s partly our fault at the other end of the pitch for not killing the game as well.

“We had control and we were playing some good stuff.

“That’s football. It can happen and there’s no individuals in this team. We all want to be a collective and push each other forwards together.

“But, yeah, there’s another game on Saturday which we’re looking forward to and we’ll learn from this one for sure.”

McTominay added that “whatever happens at both ends of the pitch we need to stick together” as United look to shake off their challenging Champions League disappointment.

Newcastle have also been in midweek action away to Paris St Germain and St James’ Park is set to provide another hostile environment for Ten Hag’s team.

“There’s no intimidation in football,” McTominay added. “You’ve just got to go there and take it on its head on and go for it.

“That’s the way that this team wants to operate – we want to go and fight every challenge head on and that’s it.

“There’s no ducking and diving out of situations. We want to go and push ourselves and test ourselves against some really good teams as well.”

That was the message from Ref Support chief executive Martin Cassidy, who referenced issues with Bruno Fernandes, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andrew Robertson in the Premier League this season.

Fernandes appeared to make contact with an assistant referee in Liverpool's 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United, while Mitrovic was banned for eight games after pushing Chris Kavanagh.

Robertson was another involved in an altercation with an official, when assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis seemingly made contact with the Liverpool left-back with his elbow, though the official faced no further punishment after an investigation.

A couple of seasons earlier, former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero came under scrutiny for placing his hand on the shoulder of assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis during a home victory over Arsenal. 

Cassidy believes the response to the rise in these issues has been inadequate, calling on the likes of the League Managers Association (LMA) and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) to do more.

He told Stats Perform: "From a domestic point of view, what's been going on over here with the situations that [there has been] a considerable rise in contact with match officials from what's happened with Sian Massey-Ellis, Bruno Fernandes, Mitrovic, Robertson – it’s on the rise.

"When's it going to stop? And there are people who are silent on this who shouldn't be silent on this – the LMA, the PFA and even the Football Supporters' Association, they're all quiet on this, they comment on everything else.

"They will talk all these white papers and governments, and they tweet about enough is enough about things [that are important] to them, but they never come out and publicly condemn their behaviour by their members.

"The LMA never do it. We wrote to them, and we got a very benign, weak response. [The] PFA never say anything about the behaviour of their players – their members.

"Certainly, there never seems to be any stance from supporters associations who really want to stand up and say: 'Look, we are going to do something here, what's the protocols, what's the code of conduct for managers in the LMA, what is the code of conduct for a professional footballer with regard to how they behave with these post-match comments here?'

"So, there are a lot of silent people here who need to step up like the FA have in this country. When these people criticise the FA, the LMA and the PFA need to look at themselves and say what they are doing to address the situation that's caused directly by their members."

Cassidy acknowledged the problems span wider than English football, with the ill-tempered Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla marred by abuse of referee Anthony Taylor after the game.

Aside from refereeing issues, the ongoing racially motivated problems with Vinicius Junior and Spanish football continue – and Cassidy believes UEFA must improve.

"UEFA hasn't really got a good track record on what they've done with racism," he added. "So, they have been quite weak on that really and very erratic.

"Look at what has happened in Spain, they haven't really taken control of that. So, I'm not very hopeful that they'll respond to this in a manner that football wants it to respond to, but hopefully they prove us wrong.

"UEFA does, in particular with the UEFA foundation, some wonderful stuff. But when it comes to stuff like this, they don't seem to – look at what happened in the Champions League final last year, Liverpool-Real Madrid – they never really covered themselves in glory there.

"Let's take this opportunity, UEFA, let's make the game better. Let's come out hard and tough and let's send a message that this behaviour is totally unacceptable in our game."