Inter Hoping To Learn From Last Year’s Elimination To Make Champions League Progress | OneFootball

Inter will be better prepared for this season’s Champions League group stage after their painful last-minute elimination 12 months ago, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Luciano Spalletti’s side were twice within touching distance of reaching the last 16, only to be beaten into second by Tottenham on goals scored.

Antonio Conte will face a similarly tough group this time round, with Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Slavia Prague awaiting the Nerazzurri.

“Inter are playing Barcelona again and they won’t have happy memories,” GdS reported, presumably referring to last year’s 2-0 defeat at the Camp Nou.

“Instead of Tottenham being the second favourites to go through this time it’s Dortmund, with the likes of Sancho, Alcacer, Hummels, Witsel and Thorgan Hazard. A very tough opponent.

“It’s unlikely Barca will let top spot slip through their fingers, but Inter can take on the Germans for second. Slavia Prague, having come through the play-offs, can’t be a problem for them.”

GdS called upon Diego Godin to put his experience in Europe to good use, having twice reached the final in recent years with Atletico Madrid.

They also backed Stefano Sensi to make a good first impression in the Champions League and warned Romelu Lukaku he must repay the faith Conte showed in him this summer.