Inter Milan v Shakhtar Donetsk Betting Tips: Can Inter avoid semi-final upset?
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Odds and preview for Europa League semi-final
Inter Milan take on Shakhtar in tonight’s Europa League semi-final, with Sevilla lying in wait for the victor in Friday’s final.
We’ve seen plenty of surprises in European competition over the last week, with Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United all crashing out despite being pre-match favourites.
Could we see another shock here? Or will Inter hold firm to reach their first European final in 10 years?
Inter are clear 8/13 favourites to win in 90 minutes, with Shakhtar back at 9/2. It’s 16/5 for a draw, which would see the tie head to extra-time.
The Italian side are also 3/10 to qualify, while Shakhtar find themselves at 5/2.
Inter have scored two goals in each of their last four games – a 2-0 win for Antonio Conte’s side is 8/1.
Romelu Lukaku is 3/1 to break the deadlock for Inter or 19/20 to net for the third game running.
Shakhtar will be looking to Junior Moraes to provide a cutting edge – he’s 15/8 to get on the scoresheet.
Inter’s late rally saw them finish just a point behind Juventus in Serie A. Now they’ve got a great chance to lift a trophy to cap a very encouraging first season under Antonio Conte.
As always with a Conte side, they’re very well-drilled defensively. After dropping out of the Champions League group stage, they’ve only conceded two goals in four Europa League games so far.
They’ve got plenty of firepower at the other end too. Romelu Lukaku has scored 31 goals in all competitions – the highest tally of any player in their first year at Inter since Ronaldo back in 1997/98. With Alexis Sanchez ruled out here, the lively Lautaro Martinez will line up alongside Lukaku.
As for Shakhtar, they may be the underdogs, but they come into this on the back of an 11-game unbeaten streak.
Luis Castro has a full squad to choose from now that Davit Khocholava is available again. However, it would be a surprise if he changed things too much from the side that beat Basel 4-1 in the quarter-finals.
They’re clearly a solid outfit, with Junior Moraes and Taison capable of causing real problems, but they may have to rein in their attacking instincts slightly here. If they’re too open, the twin threat of Lukaku and Martinez could make them pay.
If things stay tight, Conte could have an ace up his sleeve in Christian Eriksen. The playmaker has had a mixed start to life in Italy, but he could make himself an Inter hero here.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
