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#3 Sadio Mane vs Stefan de Vrij
Liverpool forward and AFCON winner Sadio Mane was rested in the Reds’ Premier League win over Leicester City last Friday.
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The Senegalese returned to the fold in the 1-0 win at Burnley on Sunday, but was subbed off with 20 minutes left to play.
But against Inter Milan, Mane could play the entire 90 minutes, and we are backing him to come good.
Mane, who loves to cut inside from the left-hand channel, is likely to cross paths with Inter’s Stefan de Vrij, who operates centrally in defense. Like Mane, De Vrij is also an agile and intimidating athlete, which makes this tussle a rather unpredictable one.
If the Dutchman can read Mane’s movement, marshal the backline well, and keep him from making inroads, Liverpool could be in for a tricky encounter.
#2 Lautaro Martinez vs Virgil van Dijk
At the start of the season, Inter Milan lost Romelu Lukaku to Premier League giants Chelsea. His departure was destined to be tough for the San Siro outfit, as they did not have a like-for-like replacement for him.
Thankfully, even in Lukaku’s absence, Lautaro Martinez hasn’t lost his way and has been consistently producing the goods for his team.
The Argentine forward has scored 12 goals across all competitions, emerging as the team’s primary goal source.
Stopping Martinez in his tracks will not be a straightforward affair. Luckily for the Reds, they have one of the best in the business at their disposal. The great Virgil van Dijk has been rock solid for Jurgen Klopp this season and will have the responsibility of keeping Martinez in check tonight.
The Netherlands international is known for his pinpoint tackling, ability to intercept passes, and nullifying aerial threats. A mouth-watering battle awaits at the heart of the Merseysiders’ defense.
#1 Mohamed Salah vs Alessandro Bastoni
Last but not least, we have the ever-graceful Mohamed Salah going up against Inter’s industrious Alessandro Bastoni.
The Egypt international, who is set to make his 50th Champions League appearance for the Reds on Wednesday night, has been in imperious form this season.
He has scored 16 times and provided nine assists in the Premier League in the current campaign, emerging as the division’s top goalscorer and second-leading assist provider.
In the Champions League, too, he has looked excellent, netting seven times in six appearances.
Containing a player in such good form would not be easy for Alessandro Bastoni, but we believe he’s cut out for it. He rarely puts a foot wrong, is always calm in possession, and is known to produce crisp tackles when the situation demands.
The battle between the two superstars could have a significant bearing on the outcome tonight.
