Tuesday will bring two finely poised contests in the Champions League last 16 as the second legs continue.

A late goal from Romelu Lukaku gave Inter a narrow 1-0 advantage against Porto at San Siro heading into the return fixture in Portugal.

The Serie A giants did not exactly prepare well, though, losing 2-1 at lowly Spezia on Friday, while Sergio Conceicao's side earned a hard-fought 3-2 win against Estoril Praia the same day.

Manchester City host RB Leipzig fresh off a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace thanks to an Erling Haaland penalty, while the Bundesliga club moved up to third in the table following a comfortable 3-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.

After their 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, Pep Guardiola will be hoping that home advantage can keep the club's dream alive of a first Champions League title.

Stats Perform has picked out the standout Opta data to preview Tuesday's games.

Porto v Inter

Porto have lost three of their five matches against Inter in the Champions League, though all three of those defeats came away from home. The return leg at the Estadio do Dragao could mean a different story, as they have earned one win and one draw against Inter on home soil.

Having said that, Porto have lost four of their last six home matches in the knockout stages of the Champions League, conceding 13 goals across those four defeats.

They have, though, won each of their last four home matches in Europe against Italian clubs, beating Roma, Juventus, Milan and Lazio in succession. The last Italian side to defeat them away from home was Juventus in February 2017.

Inter have progressed from four of their five two-legged Champions League knockout ties when winning the first leg, only being eliminated from such a position in 2005-06 by Villarreal.

Porto have been eliminated from six of their seven two-legged Champions League knockout ties when losing the first leg, only progressing in 2018-19 against Roma.

Lukaku's winning goal in the first leg meant he has scored eight goals in 12 appearances for Inter in the Champions League. His record of 111 minutes per goal is the best of any player to have scored five or more goals for the club in the European Cup/Champions League.

Manchester City v RB Leipzig

City are unbeaten across their last 23 home matches in the Champions League, winning 21. If they avoid defeat in this match, they will equal Arsenal's record for the longest home unbeaten run by an English club in the competition (24 games between September 2004 and April 2009).

Leipzig are unbeaten in five matches in the Champions League (W4 D1), their longest unbeaten run in the competition since a seven-game stretch in 2019-20 when they reached the semi-final.

The last team to defeat City at the Etihad Stadium in a Champions League knockout stage match was Liverpool in the 2017-18 quarter-final second leg – visiting sides have avoided defeat just once in eight matches since.

Marco Rose has taken charge of three matches in the Champions League knockout stages, with all three coming against City, after his Monchengladbach side were eliminated by the club in the last 16 in 2020-21. The only previous instance of a head coach facing the same opponent in his first four Champions League knockout stage matches is Frank Rijkaard against Chelsea between 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Haaland has scored 17 goals in 11 home matches in the Champions League for Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and City, scoring at least two goals in seven of those games. The Norwegian has scored a goal every 49 minutes on average in these matches.

Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku has scored 10 goals across his last 12 starts in the Champions League, including a hat-trick against City at the Etihad Stadium in September 2021. Nkunku is one of two players to score a hat-trick against City in the competition, the other being Lionel Messi in October 2016.

M'Bala Nzola's late penalty punished wasteful Inter and gave Serie A strugglers Spezia a shock 2-1 victory on Friday.

The Nerazzurri's slim title hopes are surely over after they were beaten by relegation-threatened Spezia for the first time at Stadio Alberto Picco.

Bartlomiej Dragowski saved an early Lautaro Martinez penalty, and that was a sign of things to come as toothless second-placed Inter dominated the majority of the game but lacked a cutting edge.

Daniel Maldini, on loan from Inter's fierce rivals Milan, put Spezia in front just under 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute at half-time, but Romelu Lukaku's late spot-kick looked to have salvaged a point.

Nzola had the final say by slotting home from 12 yards out after Denzel Dumfries barged Viktor Kovalenko over, ensuring Inter remain 15 points behind runaway leaders Napoli.

Romelu Lukaku is "giving excellent signals" following a timely return to form, according to Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi.

The Belgium international has scored just four goals for the Nerazzurri since returning on loan from Chelsea last June.

Two of those have come in his last four appearances - including the winner in the first leg of Inter's Champions League last-16 tie with Porto.

The striker is just one goal away from becoming only the fourth player to score 50 times in Serie A and the Premier League, after Gianfranco Zola, Edin Dzeko and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We know his value, he came from a problematic period, and now he is giving excellent signals," Inzaghi said of Lukaku during his press conference ahead of Inter's clash with Spezia on Friday. 

"He trains in the best way every day, he scored an important goal against Porto, and we want him to continue to raise the condition."

Second-placed Inter will be expected to cut the gap to runaway leaders Napoli to 12 points with victory over their 17th-placed opponents, who are just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Nerazzurri saw a six-match unbeaten run ended with defeat at Bologna, but Inzaghi was pleased with his side's response in their routine 2-0 victory over Lecce. 

"We reacted well by having an excellent game against Lecce," he added. "We must continue like this, with this determination, also from tomorrow.

"[It will be] a difficult game, against a team that has a very specific goal for which it is fighting.

"They come from two draws in a row. We will have to interpret the game in the best way, doing simple things."

Giuseppe Marotta says Inter have "never lacked trust" in Simone Inzaghi but the club must find "therapy" following a 1-0 Serie A defeat to Bologna on Sunday.

Riccardo Orsolini scored the only goal of the game to leave the second-placed Nerazzurri 18 points behind runaway leaders Napoli.

Striker Lautaro Martinez warned Inter will "get nowhere playing like this" after their six-game unbeaten run came to a halt.

Inter CEO Marotta has full faith in head coach Inzaghi, yet he wants more consistency.

He told Sky Sport Italia: "We are protagonists in the Champions League and in the Coppa Italia, but in what is the most important competition, the championship, there is discontinuity in results.

"We believe in Inzaghi, he is doing an excellent job and trust has never failed. Today it is difficult to win and be competitive, but one fact emerges: we are inconsistent, especially when the team faces teams clearly within reach.

"It is on this point that an analysis must be made and a therapy identified, it being understood that the club must support this activity."

He added of Inzaghi: "Our obligation is to give satisfaction to the fans. Inzaghi is a good, young and well-prepared coach. We have never lacked trust in him."

Marotta is unsure whether on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku will be at San Siro next season.

He said: "Talking about it now is premature. In June, he will return to Chelsea and then a new scenario will open up and we'll see what to do.

"He wants to stay, surely knowing him we will see if it will be the case to be able to negotiate his return with us."

Romelu Lukaku is relishing a stern Champions League test when Inter head to Porto for the second leg of their last-16 tie.

Inter will take a 1-0 lead to Estadio do Dragao on March 14 after Lukaku slammed in a late winner at San Siro on Wednesday.

Having seen a header rebound off the left-hand post, substitute Lukaku reacted sharply to drill home from close range.

Lukaku's winner, which came shortly after Otavio had seen red for the visitors, marked only his fourth goal of what has been a difficult campaign for the 29-year-old, though he has now netted in each of his last two appearances.

While he lamented Inter's failure to add a second goal, Lukaku's confidence will not be shaken by heading to a difficult venue where Porto have lost just twice this season, winning their last eight home games.

"Here at San Siro we played with a great mentality, taking advantage of the chances created, but in Porto it will be difficult," Lukaku told Inter TV.

"They have great fans, a very [atmospheric] stadium, but we live for situations like this.

"We choose this life when we decide to become players. We will be prepared.

"There is satisfaction with the team's victory, a very important success. We deserved it. We played a good game and created many chances.

"Porto are very strong, now we have to archive the result and continue to do well in the league. It's just a shame we didn't score the second goal."

Inter did create plenty of opportunities, having 18 shots, though only four of those hit the target, while their 1.58 expected goals (xG) was narrowly less than Porto's 1.65.

Porto also had four attempts on target, but Inter had Andre Onana to thank for a series of fine stops – the former Ajax goalkeeper making an excellent double save from Zaidu Sanusi and Mehdi Taremi in the second half.

According to Opta, Taremi's attempt was the best chance of the game for either side, with an xG of 0.67. Essentially, close to 70 per cent of such opportunities would be expected to result in a goal.

"I'm talking about the two saves by Onana, who played an amazing game," Lukaku said when asked about the key moments of the game.

"But they all did well, even the bench players and substitutes. We're the same team as two years ago, nothing has changed.

"We must be enthusiastic about the result, with Porto it is never easy."

Inter forward Romelu Lukaku looks in better shape than before, according to his former Belgium assistant coach Thierry Henry.

Lukaku came off the bench in the 58th minute against Porto on Wednesday before netting the only goal in the Nerazzurri's Champions League last-16 first-leg win.

Inter CEO Beppe Marotta had called into question Lukaku's fitness when he told Sky Sport the forward "needs to be in perfect physical shape to deliver" and that "he is not there yet".

But Lukaku, on loan at Inter from Chelsea, provided the perfect response when he lashed home a close-range chance after his initial 86th-minute header had hit the post.

"I am so happy for Rom," Henry said on CBS Sports. "He looks fitter, he looks slimmer, he wants it.

"I think he was disappointed that he didn't start. The only answer you can give is on the field, and he did that.

"Great header. The ball goes inside, great cross, that's what you do. You come on the field and try to make an impact to make sure you can ask your coach questions – 'next time am I going to be in the starting line-up?'"

Lukaku's future remains uncertain having underwhelmed so far during his season-long loan spell with Inter, netting four times in 14 appearances.

However, his return to Chelsea last term was similarly disappointing.

"We had a discussion when he went to Chelsea, and I told him he's going to find it difficult to play at Chelsea," Henry added. "That happened to be the case, because of the way [Thomas] Tuchel liked to play.

"Pressing, you're the nine, I'm the nine, I'm the winger, you're the winger, you have to change. Rom likes to stay where he is. Feed him, play him in early, and he'll try to bully you.

"He was a different type of nine to what Tuchel wanted. Is he going to fit what [Graham] Potter's trying to do? They're struggling enough.

"And what does he want to do? I don't think he wants to go back. That's the main thing. He wants to stay at Inter."

Simone Inzaghi could not hide his frustration at Inter only building a 1-0 lead to take to Porto for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

Inter were slender victors in San Siro on Wednesday thanks to Romelu Lukaku's late winner, the Belgian scoring for the second game running after not previously netting for the club since before the World Cup.

Lukaku's goal came as a huge relief to Inter, who otherwise looked destined to be held to a 0-0 draw that would have arguably made Porto favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.

Inter had chances to open the scoring before Lukaku's strike, with Lautaro Martinez and Alessandro Bastoni spurning great opportunities in the first half.

There was also an opportunity just after Lukaku's second-half introduction where he almost teed up strike partner Martinez, but the Argentinian could not reach the low cross.

Inzaghi generally appeared satisfied, but his frustration was also obvious.

"We played an excellent game against a physical and technical opponent, an excellent team," he told Prime Video. "There is regret because we had situations in the first half.

"In the second half the changes helped us. We wanted something more, but we are satisfied because we played a great match.

"[Marcelo] Brozovic and Lukaku entered very well, [Denzel] Dumfries and [Robin] Gosens too. I need everyone because it's not easy to play matches like this.

"In the first half we had to be quicker to pass the ball, we had to build better and quicker. Porto attacked us ferociously, but we had to pick up the pace and we deserved the lead straight away in the first half."

Edin Dzeko was the one to make way for Lukaku, and the Bosnian forward reacted angrily to being withdrawn.

Inzaghi refused to blow the situation out of proportion, however.

"I was expecting this question," Inzaghi told reporters with a laugh. "I too got angry when I went off the pitch in these matches, but it was enough for me to see him jump up after Lukaku's goal.

"These are things that happen on the pitch for the adrenaline of these evenings, let's not forget that in these 18 months with Inter, Dzeko has done a lot."

The two sides will tussle again on March 14 at the Dragao, and while Inzaghi acknowledged Inter do have the edge, he was keen to impress on his players that they have a long way to go yet.

"Yes, you said it correctly, we have a slight advantage, which we will try to make count," he continued.

"We faced a strong, physical team, who are used to playing this round in very important competitions.

"The first half was 0-0, then we stretched out a bit for the desire to bring it home. We risked on that one occasion where [Milan] Skriniar and [Andre] Onana were very good [to deny Porto a goal], then we closed it out well with the four substitutions that came in at their best.

"Applause to the team, but it's only the first leg."

Romelu Lukaku was decisive off the bench with a late winner as Inter scraped a 1-0 victory over Porto in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at San Siro.

Simone Inzaghi's men appeared to be heading for a disappointing goalless draw that would have arguably put Porto in the driving seat for the second leg, but Lukaku came to Inter's rescue.

The Nerazzurri had been wasteful during a tense first half, with Lautaro Martinez spurning a great opportunity and Alessandro Bastoni forcing Diogo Costa into a brilliant save.

They then struggled to make the most of their dominance in the second half, but shortly after Porto midfielder Otavio was sent off, Lukaku turned home to score for the second time in less than a week.

Liverpool midfielder Stefan Bajcetic has reportedly caught the attention of LaLiga powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Bajcetic, 18, scored his first Premier League goal in a short substitute appearance against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, and after impressing in a pair of January FA Cup starts, he forced his way into the first team.

He has started their past four Premier League fixtures as well as Tuesday's Champions League Final rematch against Madrid, indicating a rapid rise in the eyes of Jurgen Klopp.

The Spaniard left Celta Vigo in 2020 to head to the Premier League, but his home country could soon come calling to bring him back.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL TEEN CAPTURES IMAGINATION OF EUROPE'S ELITE

According to Fichajes, both Barcelona and Madrid "have been closely following his evolution", and they believe Bajcetic possesses the qualities necessary to perform at the highest level.

Barcelona reportedly view him as "an ideal piece to form a future midfield with Pedri and Gavi", while Madrid would like him to be the successor to ageing veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

His contract ties him to Anfield until 2027, but the Spanish giants could try to test his transfer value as soon as this off-season.

ROUND-UP

– The Daily Mail is reporting Aston Villa will listen to offers for 30-year-old goalkeeper and World Cup hero Emiliano Martinez after the season with the hope that a significant transfer fee could fund a mini-rebuild.

– Leicester City will look to sell James Maddison at the end of the season if they can not convince him to sign a new contract, with Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham named as interested parties, per Football Insider.

– According to The Telegraph, 31-year-old midfielder N'Golo Kante will sign a new contract to remain at Chelsea.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Inter will look to move on from wing-backs Denzel Dumfries and Robin Gosens at the end of the season, with Dumfries a potential piece in a swap deal for Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku.

– According to the Evening Standard, Saudi Arabian clubs – including Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr – are circling 30-year-old Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha with the belief he would be open to a Middle East move for the right price.

Simone Inzaghi could not assure Romelu Lukaku he would start again against Porto despite ending his goal drought on Saturday.

Lukaku has scored only three times since returning to Inter at the start of this season.

It has been a difficult campaign for the Belgium forward, who also failed to net at the World Cup in Qatar.

But a penalty against Udinese on Saturday gave Lukaku his first Serie A goal since August ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg against Porto.

That does not mean Lukaku is certain to start, however, as coach Inzaghi said in his news conference there were "doubts" about his line-up.

Edin Dzeko would be the obvious alternative to Lukaku, having netted 11 in all competitions this season, although the pair started together against Udinese.

Asked specifically about Lukaku and midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, Inzaghi said: "Lukaku has been working for longer and is improving. He is putting a great deal of effort into it.

"As for both, tomorrow we will try to make the best choices for Inter.

"Those who do not start will still be useful in the game. In games like these, the final minutes are those in which decisive actions can occur and spaces are freed up to exploit."

Inter have not been past the last 16 of the Champions League since the 2010-11 season, when they were playing as defending champions.

But having emerged from a difficult group that also included Barcelona and Bayern Munich, confidence is high.

"We face this tie with great confidence," Inzaghi said. "We reached it with an incredible path – on paper, Barcelona and Bayern Munich were teams that everyone wanted to avoid.

"You can see what Barca are doing in La Liga, and we know what Bayern are."

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's superb second-half volley helped Inter overcome a stubborn Udinese in Serie A on Saturday, claiming a 3-1 win at San Siro.

Romelu Lukaku's 20th-minute penalty after Denzel Dumfries was brought down saw the hosts initially lead, only for Sandi Lovric's breakaway finish to reel them in before the break.

But just as it looked like the Nerazzurri would be forced to settle for a point, the Armenia international rode to their rescue with an excellent 73rd-minute strike.

Martinez made sure of the points in the 89th minute as Simone Inzaghi's side stretched their lead over third-place Milan to three points, ahead of the congested European race beneath them.

Inter entered the match with a verve and energy their visitors struggled to handle early on, and won a penalty after Walace was deemed to have fouled Dumfries by the VAR.

Lukaku initially saw his first effort saved by Marco Silvestri, but the goalkeeper was adjudged to be off his line and the Belgian made no mistake with his second attempt.

Yet the hosts failed to capitalise on their advantage, and Udinese deservedly drew level two minutes from the interval when Lovric finished off a shrewd counter-attack.

Dumfries fluffed his lines when presented with a chance to restore Inter's lead with a cross from Mkhitaryan, who achieved that feat with 17 minutes of normal time remaining when he lifted Federico Dimarco's square delivery beyond Silvestri.

Martinez added a late touch of gloss by powering a strike home in the closing stages to ensure there would be no late capitulation from Inter.

Simone Inzaghi says the heated on-field exchange between Inter team-mates Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku is understandable as both players were showing their desire.

Barella and Lukaku could be seen arguing during a frustrating first half for Inter in their goalless Serie A draw against Sampdoria on Monday.

Lukaku angrily wagged his finger at Barella after the Italy international had petulantly waved his arms in the air.

Asked to explain the mid-game dispute between his two players, Inzaghi tried to take positives out of the situation.

"Barella is totally committed to the cause. He has so much motivation and always wants to win," Inzaghi told Inter TV.

"The desire can at times spill over, but we all know what kind of person he is. I have confidence in him and the rest of the team."

Barella and Lukaku are in contention to start Inter's home league match against Udinese on Saturday as they look to return to winning ways in Serie A.

Inter may find themselves 18 points behind Napoli by then, with the leaders travelling to Sassuolo on Friday.

Despite having a big Champions League last-16 first-leg tie with Porto coming up on Wednesday, Inzaghi suggested he does not intend to rest any key players against Udinese.

"We will need to be at our best. I may be repetitive but despite the Champions League on the horizon, the focus is on Inter-Udinese," he said.

"I think that our biggest motivation tomorrow comes from wanting to win in front of our fans.

"I will make the necessary assessments. I will rely on all players, the starters and those on the bench."

Simone Inzaghi conceded runaway Serie A leaders Napoli are unreachable for Inter after expressing disappointment for a wasteful performance at Sampdoria.

Inter trail the in-form Napoli by 15 points at the Italian top-flight summit after being held to a goalless draw by strugglers Sampdoria on Monday at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.

The Nerazzurri attempted 25 shots in a one-sided contest, the first time Inter have recorded as many shots without scoring in a Serie A match since February 2022 (29 at home to Sassuolo).

Inzaghi's side have failed to score in two of their past four Serie A matches, as many times as in their previous 31 matches in the competition, and the Inter head coach acknowledged his team's shortfalls.

"It's normal to be disappointed, we wanted another result – we didn't underestimate the game," he told DAZN. "We had a good first half, less the second.

"There were many chances created against a team that gave everything on the pitch. We had to make the most of them.

"There is regret because the boys played the match in the right way, playing it as we had prepared for it. We had to be calmer and capitalise on the opportunities better."

When asked if Luciano Spalletti's Napoli were uncatchable, Inzaghi responded: "Definitely that, but we have to look only at our progress.

"We came from three victories in a row and tonight we wanted to achieve a different result. There is a lot of bitterness as it should be."

Lautaro Martinez spurned a glorious last-minute opportunity after a scramble inside the area, with second-bottom Sampdoria hanging on for a vital point.

The Argentina international attempted six shots without finding the net, the most efforts he has managed in a match without scoring in Serie A since facing Sampdoria on May 22 last year.

But Inzaghi was not unhappy with what he saw from his strikers Martinez and Romelu Lukaku before a late cameo from veteran Edin Dzeko.

"Lukaku is working a lot more and more every day, he needs playing time," he added. "Lautaro and Dzeko are doing great things.

"Tonight [Lukaku] held the ball well, he could have scored with a dirtier shot then he dropped a bit in the second half."

Lukaku and Nicolo Barella could be seen arguing in a frustrating first half, with the striker waving his finger at the Italy international after a disagreement.

"They had this squabble in front of my bench, these are things I don't like but we talked about it at the end of the first half and it was all already resolved," Inzaghi continued.

"But it certainly shouldn't happen again because it's not a pretty sight. They are things on the pitch, probably with a victory would not have even been talked about."

Manchester City reportedly view Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell as a potential answer to their left-back problem and will investigate a move at the end of the season.

Chilwell, 26, was purchased from Leicester City for a £50million fee prior to the 2020-21 campaign, and he enjoyed immediate success at Stamford Bridge. In his first season with the club, all 27 of his Premier League appearances came in the starting line-up, and he also played a full 90 minutes in their Champions League final triumph over City.

Unfortunately, the England international with 17 senior caps has been plagued by injuries since, with a serious knee injury this past season followed by a long-term hamstring injury early in the current campaign.

Chilwell returned from his hamstring issue with a brief appearance off the bench against Fulham on February 3, and if he can prove his fitness down the stretch then he could prove the perfect replacement for Joao Cancelo after his shock departure on loan to Bayern Munich.

TOP STORY – CITY IDENTIFY CHILWELL AS POTENTIAL CANCELO REPLACEMENT

The future of Cancelo with City is looking bleak after he was shipped off to Bayern following reports of a training ground dispute with boss Pep Guardiola, and Caught Offside claims the club are already looking at long-term solutions in his position.

Fabrizio Romano writes that "Chilwell is one of the players who has been appreciated by Manchester City for years" – but adds the Englishman is just one name on a shortlist of left-back options to pursue when the season wraps up.

Chilwell's five-year contract with Chelsea ties him to the club until 2025, but the report states the addition of Marc Cucurella has made him more expendable if the price is right.

ROUND-UP

– According to 90min, Chelsea have made 24-year-old Napoli striker Victor Osimhen their top forward target, and he is expected to cost in excess of £100million (€110m).

– The Daily Mail is reporting Tottenham will look to sign new centre-backs at the end of the season, and have taken a liking to 22-year-old Crystal Palace talent Marc Guehi, who may be available for a fee of around £45million.

– According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona will join a long list of elite clubs – including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter – in the pursuit of 25-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram. The France international will become a free agent after the season, and his father Lillian Thuram spent two seasons with Barcelona before retiring.

– Inter will work to secure 29-year-old striker Romelu Lukaku on either a permanent deal or another loan from Chelsea next season at a lower cost, per Gazzetta dello Sport.

– Football Insider is reporting Liverpool, Everton and Leeds United are all interested in 18-year-old Birmingham City midfielder George Hall, who some are calling "the next Jude Bellingham".

Most football seasons carry a degree of unpredictability; that's just the nature of sport.

But it's certainly arguable that this season is among the least predictable in living memory due to the unique timing of the World Cup, which took place across November and December for the first time.

In Italy, Napoli would've presumably been the team most frustrated by the timing of Qatar 2022. On course for a first Scudetto since 1990 and the days of Diego Maradona, the Partenopei had been head and shoulders above the rest in Serie A before the World Cup and among the most eye-catching sides in Europe.

They'd lost just once – a 2-0 Champions League defeat at Liverpool – and won all but three matches across all competitions prior to the season's break. So, the key question facing them now is, can momentum survive a two-month hiatus?

The next 10 days or so will give us a fairly clear indication of just how good Napoli are.

Napoli's testing return

Napoli return to action in 2023 with one of the most-anticipated games of the season. Not only are their title credentials set for a thorough examination, but Inter could do with a positive result to kick-start their season.

Simone Inzaghi's men sit fifth, 11 points behind Napoli. A spell of four defeats in six Serie A games between August and October gave Inter an uphill struggle right from the early weeks of the season.

They recovered, to an extent, but did also lose to Juventus in early November. You'd have to think their chances of regaining the title they won in 2021, but relinquished to city rivals Milan last season, will disappear into the realms of impossibility if they are beaten on Wednesday.

Some might even suggest that's the case already. After all, Stats Perform's AI prediction model gives them only a 4.3 per cent chance of finishing the season top – though that is at least higher than the two teams directly above them.

It's not just this Inter clash that Napoli fans will have on their minds, however.

They host bitter rivals Juventus on January 13, and like Inter, the Bianconeri will also still harbour title hopes. That's assuming they don't suffer the unlikely fate of losing to Udinese – whose form tailed off after an incredible start – and winless Cremonese in the interim.

Perhaps all this talk of the title is a bit daft when you consider Napoli's clash with Juve won't even be the halfway point of the season: there remains a long way to go.

However, when a team has been as good as Napoli were before the World Cup, it's only normal to start considering how many more opportunities their rivals have.

Inter potentially have a joker in the pack, though.

Romelu's redemption?

It's been a difficult 18 months for Romelu Lukaku. His highly anticipated return to Chelsea was underwhelming, to say the least, and resulted in him making his way back to Inter.

"It's like coming home," he said. But injuries restricted the 29-year-old to just four appearances in Serie A before the World Cup, therefore Italy is very much still waiting for the real Lukaku to return.

In fact, the world is still waiting. Let's not forget, Lukaku did feature for Belgium in Qatar but did little to rebuild his fractured reputation.

Granted, injuries again limited his involvement but that performance against Croatia as Belgium were knocked out at the group stage was remarkable. He had five shots equalling 1.7 expected goals (xG), including three absolute sitters, yet he failed to convert any.

But if Lukaku does get back to anything like what he showed during his previous spell in San Siro, there's every reason to expect a slightly different Inter between now and the end of the season.

During those two campaigns with the Nerazzurri, Lukaku's haul of 47 league goals was bettered by only four players across the top five leagues. Similarly, his 35 non-penalty (np) strikes was only slightly above his np-xG (33.1 – also the fifth-highest in the top five leagues), which supports the idea he was dependable without being regularly lucky.

Of course, Antonio Conte's system at Inter was what many considered key in Lukaku's improvement. His pace, strength and running power – helped of course by his finishing ability – made the Belgian almost unplayable in a transition-based side.

Chelsea never saw the same player partly because Thomas Tuchel is a more possession-orientated coach; those opportunities to release Lukaku in behind defences just weren't as frequent and he arguably isn't technically good enough to be a key player in such a setup.

As such, Inzaghi was aware he'd have to change his tactics somewhat to adjust to Lukaku this season – this will be tested to the max over the coming weeks, and its success will likely determine Inter's campaign one way or the other.