Preview: Inter Milan vs Liverpool - prediction, team news, lineups

As chaos and crisis reigns supreme on and off the field, Liverpool face a daunting trip to intimidating San Siro surroundings on Tuesday night, when they face Inter Milan in the Champions League league phase.

The 13th-placed Reds have claimed nine points from their opening five games of this season's tournament, while the Nerazzurri suffered their first reverse on matchday five.

Match preview

From the highs of victory over perpetual nemeses Real Madrid to the lows of a home humiliation at the hands of PSV Eindhoven, Liverpool fans have experienced all the emotions in this season's Champions League, in which the latter result saw an unwanted 96-year-old record equalled.

That 4-1 thrashing at the hands of the Dutch giants marked Liverpool's third home loss by at least three goals in the 2025-26 season - the first time they had suffered that fate since the 1929-30 season - and left them outside the coveted top-eight positions with nine points on the board.

The glass-half-full Liverpool brigade may point to their side's three-game unbeaten run since that Merseyside mauling, but a 2-0 victory at West Ham United did not prove to be the Premier League turning point some may have hoped for, evidenced by dismal draws vs. newly-promoted Sunderland and Leeds United.

After the Reds shipped a 96th-minute equaliser to the latter in Saturday's 3-3 stalemate, unused substitute Mohamed Salah dropped one of the biggest bombshells he could have possibly dropped, accusing Liverpool of throwing him under the bus and admitting that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot was now non-existent.

The Reds hierarchy have so far resisted calls to part ways with their under-fire manager, and if the powers-that-be take Slot's side - as the status quo would suggest - we may very well be seeing the last of Salah in a Liverpool shirt.

For now - whether the 33-year-old is on the pitch or on the bench in Milan - he will do his bit to help Liverpool to a fourth successive win over an Italian team in Europe, but the form book suggests that will be much easier said than done.

While Inter's last outing in the Champions League also ended in a demoralising setback, a 2-1 away defeat to Atletico Madrid - who only claimed all three points in second-half injury time - does not set off the same alarm bells as a PSV pummelling.

Furthermore, Cristian Chivu's men had been flawless on the continent before succumbing to Los Rojiblancos' superiority, albeit against opponents they would expect to overcome in Kairat, Union SG, Slavia Prague and Ajax.

Nevertheless, Inter formerly went about their business with aplomb and sit fourth in the 36-team table as a result, level on points with all of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain and three shy of perfect leaders Arsenal.

Last season's beaten finalists have also been dazzling domestically since being seen off by Atletico, winning three straight games across Serie A and the Coppa Italia by an aggregate score of 11-1, most recently crushing Como 4-0 on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool did sink Inter 2-0 at San Siro in the 2021-22 Champions League, but the Nerazzurri have won 10 of their last 11 Champions League group stage/league phase games in front of their own fans and ought to be firm favourites to make that 11 from 12 against Slot's champions-in-crisis.

Inter Milan Champions League form:

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

Liverpool Champions League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Team News

With Conor Bradley returning from a muscular injury in the draw with Leeds - and picking up a suspension-inducing yellow card - only Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring) and Giovanni Leoni (ACL) are missing for the Reds this week.

Bradley's ban does not apply to European competition, so the Northern Ireland international may be retained at right-back, potentially allowing Joe Gomez to displace Ibrahima Konate amid the Frenchman's disastrous form.

All eyes will naturally be on Salah's name when the Liverpool team sheet is released, but it would be a shock the Egyptian restored to the XI after his explosive comments - another watching brief surely awaits.

Hosts Inter could also welcome their own right-sided defender back from injury in time for Tuesday, as Denzel Dumfries is pushing to return from an ankle issue for the visit of the Reds, although he may have to settle for a place on the bench.

Matteo Darmian (calf) is slightly further away in his recovery, though, while fringe centre-back Tomas Palacios (hamstring) and backup goalkeeper Raffaele Di Gennaro (scaphoid) are missing too.

Netting his 11th goal of the season in all competitions against Como, attacking figurehead Lautaro Martinez has also scored in each of his last five Champions League home matches for Inter Milan, and the Argentine should join forces with Marcus Thuram up top.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni; Augusto, Zielinski, Barella, Calhanoglu, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Bradley, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Chiesa; Ekitike

We say: Inter Milan 3-1 Liverpool

Any sense of stability is currently non-existent for Liverpool and Slot, and Reds fans will likely head to San Siro in fleeting hope rather than genuine expectation.

The travelling faithful's fears should come true at San Siro, where a settled, goal-happy and Martinez-inspired Inter crop should comfortably conquer their visitors, thus plunging Slot's future into further uncertainty.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.