Inter Milan Coach Has Already Faced Bayer Leverkusen Once – As A Player With Lazio | OneFootball

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi has already faced Bayer Leverkusen once, as a player with Lazio in 1999.

This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.

Tomorrow evening, Inter take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

The match pits the reining champions of Germany and Italy against one another.

Inzaghi will know how tough it will be against a Leverkusen that former Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso has turned into a formidable unit in his first coaching job.

Inter Coach Inzaghi Has Faced Bayer Leverkusen Before – As A Player With Lazio

Inzaghi has met Leverkusen once before as a coach, but it was a friendly in 2017.

The 48-year-old has never coached a competitive match against the Bundesliga team.

However, that does not mean that there isn’t a precedent for Inzaghi facing Leverkusen in Europe before.

On the contrary. The Inter coach met Leverkusen in his playing days.

Lazio and Bayer Leverkusen were in the same group for the first group stage of the 1999-2000 season of the Champions League.

Inzaghi was in the Biancocelesti squad at that time.

Pavel Nedved scored the opener for Lazion inside the first minute. Then Leverkusen legend Ulf Kirsten netted the equalizer on the stroke of halftime.

Inzaghi came on as a substitute right before the hour mark as the two teams saw out a 1-1 draw.