Inter crash in the derby — will Feyenoord finish off the Milan side? Feyenoord vs. Inter prediction
On November 3, Feyenoord will host Inter in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. The Dutch club are winless in three straight matches, although they remain top of the domestic championship. The Milan side are also heading into the clash in a difficult mood after a painful 1-3 defeat to AC Milan. Both teams have defensive problems, promising a high-scoring encounter.
Feyenoord: three matches without a win and squad problems
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's team are going through a difficult period. After victories over AZ (3-0), Como (3-2) and Telstar, the Rotterdam side have lost momentum, drawing with PSV and Fortuna (both matches ended 1-1) and losing to Betis (0-1). Despite sitting top of the Eredivisie, the quality of their play raises questions. Feyenoord have collected only three points in the Champions League, while the upcoming matches against Inter, Porto and Viking could determine their prospects going forward.
Injuries remain a serious problem. Several players are unavailable, including Bart Nieuwkoop, Thomas Beelen and Jerry St. Juste. Gijs Smal and Shaquil van Persie have only just returned to training. At the same time, van Bronckhorst makes very little use of rotation, increasing the workload on his key players. The hosts can take confidence from their attacking potential: the team scored three goals against Como. However, their previous meetings with Inter in the Champions League knockout stage ended in 0-2 and 1-2 defeats.
Inter: a painful derby and early-match collapses
Inter travel to Rotterdam after a 1-3 defeat to AC Milan that exposed the weaknesses of Cristian Chivu's team. A poor choice of starting lineup, defensive mistakes and delayed substitutions were the key problems for the Milan side. Despite holding the edge in shots and expected goals, the Nerazzurri were unable to turn the match around. The Italians now need to respond, although another difficult match against Como in Serie A awaits them.
Inter's main weakness is their poor starts. In eight of the nine matches in which they conceded, the team allowed the opponent to score first, while they have conceded nine goals in the opening 30 minutes of their matches this season. The squad situation is also far from ideal: Lautaro Martínez, John Stones, Curtis Jones and Luis Enrique remain unavailable. Benjamin Pavard has returned to training, however, while Dimarco, Zieliński and Esposito are expected to start. Despite their problems, the visitors' individual quality gives them reason to believe they can win.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Feyenoord are winless in three consecutive matches in all competitions
- Inter have conceded 19 goals in the nine matches this season in which they failed to keep a clean sheet
- Inter won both matches against Feyenoord in the 2024/25 Champions League round of 16
Can Inter bounce back after the derby? Feyenoord vs. Inter prediction
Feyenoord can take advantage of Milan's problems at the start of matches. Home support and a potent attack give the hosts a good chance of scoring, but numerous injuries and inconsistent defending make their task more difficult.
Inter are also far from their best, but the derby defeat should provide extra motivation. If Chivu's team can avoid their usual early mistakes, their edge in individual quality could prove decisive. We expect both teams to score and a hard-fought victory for the visitors.
