Ian Rush believes Liverpool have a ’60 per cent chance’ of beating Inter Milan to a Champions League quarter-final place, but feels Edin Dzeko, Alex Sanchez and Lautaro Martinez all pose a significant threat to the Reds’ hopes.
The Merseyside giants cruised into this year’s knockout phase in style, becoming the first English team in history to win all six of their group-stage games in Europe’s premier competition.
Their opponents, Inter, meanwhile, advanced through as Group D runners-up behind Real Madrid and head into this evening’s last-16 first leg at the San Siro as slight underdogs to progress.
However, the Serie A winners have suffered just four defeats in all competitions this season and Jurgen Klopp had nothing but praise for the opposition at his pre-match press conference, describing them as ‘rock solid’ and bursting with ‘individual quality’.
Previewing the first leg for Tuttosport, Rush said Liverpool – six-time champions of Europe – were the slight favourites to reach the quarter-finals, where they lost at the hands of Real Madrid last term.
However, the legendary ex-Liverpool and Wales striker warned his former club that beating Inter will be no easy task.
‘Inter are the peak of Italian football right now, in the last round of Serie A they picked up a good draw away to Napoli,’ he said.
‘It will be a hard-fought match, so despite the fact Liverpool are in good form, it won’t be easy for the Reds.
‘Considering recent results, Liverpool still have to be the favourites.
‘We know anything can happen in football, but over two legs, I’d say Jurgen Klopp’s lads have a 60 per cent chance of qualifying.’
Rush picked out Inter attackers Dzeko, Sanchez and Martinez as three players Liverpool may need to keep quiet across the…
Source : metro
