UEFA Europa League 2019-20: 3 early favourites ahead of the draw for the Round of 32

2. Inter Milan

Romelu Lukaku has been in good form for Inter Milan this season

Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan can probably consider themselves unlucky to end up in the Europa League this season; drawn in a horrific group in the Champions League against both Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, the knockout stages looked in touching distance when they beat the Germans at home in October.

A loss in the return match in Dortmund hit them hard, though, and failure to beat Barcelona in their final match condemned them to the Europa League. Despite this, the Nerazzurri should definitely be considered one of the favourites to win Europe’s secondary competition.

Conte’s side have been in tremendous domestic form this season, winning 13 of 15 games, and they currently sit at the top of Serie A ahead of multiple-time winners Juventus. They’ve also scored 31 goals, with dangerous strikers Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez responsible for 18 of them.

Any side with attacking firepower like that should be one that worries the rest of the field, but Inter also have the toughest defence in Italy too, conceding just 13 league goals, and with goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and defenders Diego Godin and Stefan de Vrij, their back-line looks very tricky to break down.

Manager Conte is a serial winner, with seven top-level trophies to his name, so don’t be surprised if he adds another one to his ledger by winning the Europa League.