When will an Italian club win the Champions League again?
The last time an Italian club lifted the Champions League trophy was 2010. That year, Inter Milan defeated FC Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid thanks to a brace from Argentine striker Diego Milito. Prior to Inter Milan’s third Champions League success in their history, Inter’s city rivals, AC Milan, won the competition in the 2006/07 and 2002/03 seasons and to the present day, remain the leading Italian side in this competition with seven titles. Juventus trail Inter Milan with two successes, in 1985 and 1996.
Overall, Italian clubs have enjoyed success in European competitions in recent seasons, with Atalanta Bergamo winning the UEFA Europa League last season courtesy of a hattrick from Ademola Lookman, while AS Roma lifted the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League trophy in 2022 under Jose Mourinho. And Fiorentina unfortunately have been on the end of two final defeats in 2023 and 2024 to West Ham United and Olympiacos, respectively.
However, it is Europe’s premier competition that attracts the most attention and for this season, there is only one hope left in the competition for Italian football fans. Inter Milan prevailed 4-1 on aggregate against Dutch side, Feyenoord, to set up a quarter final tie against German powerhouse FC Bayern Munich. You can find Italian football predictions at 1bettips that will likely show an even spread on this crunch tie, but Inter Milan and Italian fans will be hoping for a repeat outcome of that 2010 final and there is plenty of reason to be optimistic.
Inter showing strong domestic form
While Inter has made smooth progress on the European stage, they have also retained their focus on the league front and are once again in the running to lift a second consecutive Serie A title. Antonio Conte’s Napoli and Atalanta are also in the mix with a sizeable gap to 4th place, Juventus.
With plenty of football still to be played between now and the end of the Serie A season on 25th May, the title race could go down to the wire and Inter Milan will need to draw on all their title-winning experience to come out on top this season. Furthermore, a successful domestic campaign could provide the springboard for success in Europe.
Deadly Duo
If Inter Milan are to lift silverware this season, they will need their deadly striking duo of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram to keep firing in the goals. Both are well into double figures in all competitions. Martinez also has six goals so far in the Champions League, which is not many on reflection, but any goal in the latter stages is incredibly valuable and with a solid defensive foundation built by Simone Inzaghi, the goals from the likes of Martinez, Thuram, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and even Denzel Dumfries could make the difference from now until the final on 31st May in the Allianz Arena in Munich.
This could be the season…
It has been a long wait for Italian success in Europe’s premier competition. With AC Milan and Atalanta Bergamo knocked out in the Play-Off Round, Inter are left flying the flag for Italy. But with the likes of Real Madrid, a reinvigorated Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona still in the competition, Inter Milan will have to be at their best in the remaining five matches if they are to add a fourth Champions League trophy to their collection.