Internazionale v Tottenham facts

Memories will be stirred of a famous UEFA Champions League hat-trick when Inter welcome Tottenham to Milan on the opening night of Group B.

• The last time these teams met in a UEFA Champions League fixture in Milan, Gareth Bale scored a remarkable treble for the visitors – albeit in a losing cause in their debut season in the competition. This time, however, it is the English club who boast more recent UEFA Champions League experience; while this is Tottenham's third successive group campaign, Inter have not been at this stage since 2011/12.

Previous meetings
• In two pulsating meetings in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage, Inter withstood a superb fightback from ten-man Tottenham to win 4-3 in the first game at San Siro, despite Bale's hat-trick. Spurs turned the tables in north London, running out 3-1 winners as both sides progressed to the last 16.

• There were also plenty of goals when the sides renewed acquaintance in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League round of 16, Spurs winning the home first leg 3-0 – Jan Vertonghen scoring the final goal – but Inter levelling the tie on aggregate back in Italy to force extra time. Emmanuel Adebayor's 96th-minute strike proved enough for Tottenham to progress on away goals despite a 4-1 defeat on the night.

Form guide
Inter
• Fourth in Serie A in 2017/18, Inter are the last Italian team to win the UEFA Champions League, in 2010 – their third European Cup triumph, and first in 45 years.

• This is the 12th time Inter have been in the group stage – but the first since 2011/12.

• Inter have progressed from their group in their last eight UEFA Champions League campaigns.

• Inter did not take part in UEFA competition in 2017/18; their most recent European campaign came the previous season, when they failed to progress from their UEFA Europa League group.

• The Nerazzurri have won their last four home games against English visitors, most recently a 1-0 defeat of Southampton in the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage. They have won ten of their 15 home games against Premier League clubs (D3 L2).

Tottenham
• Third in last season's Premier League, Tottenham are in the group stage for the fourth time – and the third season in a row.

• Spurs got to the round of 16 in 2017/18, losing to Inter's domestic rivals Juventus. Tottenham drew the away first leg 2-2 – having been 2-0 down – but went out after a 2-1 reverse at Wembley. They have won only one of their last seven fixtures against Italian sides (D3 L3).

• Tottenham's most successful UEFA Champions League campaign came in 2010/11, when they reached the quarter-finals. That featured their only victory in Italy – a 1-0 success at AC Milan in the round of 16 first leg. Their record in the country is W1 D4 L4.

• The London club picked up seven points on their travels in last season's group stage, finishing top of their section ahead of eventual champions Real Madrid.

Links and trivia
• Croatia's Ivan Perišić scored past Hugo Lloris in this summer's FIFA World Cup final, France eventually winning 4-2. Šime Vrsaljko and Marcelo Brozović also featured for Croatia.

• Perišić cancelled out Kieran Trippier's opener as Croatia, with Vrsaljko and Brozović again playing, beat an England side featuring Eric Dier, Harry Kane and Dele Alli after extra time in the World Cup semi-finals.

• Christian Eriksen missed his spot kick as Denmark lost to a Croatia side including Perišić, Vrsaljko and Brozović on penalties in the World Cup round of 16.

• Have played in Italy:
Fernando Llorente (Juventus 2013–15)
Erik Lamela (Roma 2011–13)

• Llorente won two Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia during his two seasons at Juve.

• Have played in England:
Andrea Ranocchia (Hull 2017)
Borja Valero (West Brom 2008/09)
Daniele Padelli (Liverpool 2007)

• Ranocchia's final appearance for Hull was a 7-1 loss at home to Tottenham in May 2017, Harry Kane scoring a hat-trick.    

• Have played together:
Miranda & Lucas Moura (São Paulo 2010/11)
Miranda & Toby Alderweireld (Atlético Madrid 2013/14)
Kwadwo Asamoah & Fernando Llorente (Juventus 2013–15)

• International team-mates:
Miranda & Lucas Moura (Brazil)
Stefan de Vrij & Michel Vorm, Vincent Janssen (Netherlands)

Latest news

Inter
• Summer transfers
In: Radja Nainggolan (Roma), Stefan de Vrij (Lazio), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus), Lautaro Martínez (Racing Avellaneda), Matteo Politano (Sassuolo), Šime Vrsaljko (Atlético, loan), Keita Baldé (Monaco, loan)
Out: Davide Santon (Roma), Yuto Nagatomo (Galatasaray, loan made permanent), Geoffrey Kondogbia (Valencia, loan made permanent), Nicolò Zaniolo (Roma), Éder (Jiangsu Suning), Jens Odgaard (Sassuolo), Davide Bettella (Atalanta), Andrea Pinamonti (Frosinone, loan), Yann Karamoh (Bordeaux, loan)

• Inter have won only one of their first four Serie A matches, losing 1-0 at home to Parma on Saturday.

• Luciano Spalletti's side are without a win in their last four home matches (D1 L3).

• New signing Stefan de Vrij scored his first Inter goal in a 2-2 draw against Torino on 26 August, while Radja Nainggolan opened his account for the club in the 3-0 defeat of Bologna six days later.

• Antonio Candreva also found the net against Bologna, his first Inter goal since scoring in the Milan derby on 15 April 2017.

• Ivan Perišić scored against Torino and Bologna, and also in Croatia's 1-1 friendly draw with Portugal on 6 September.

• Perišić therefore scored in three successive internationals, having found the net in Croatia's 2-1 win against England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final and also the 4-2 final loss by France.

• Šime Vrsaljko and Marcelo Brozović were also in Croatia's World Cup squad.

• Vrsaljko limped off with a knee injury 19 minutes into Croatia's 6-0 defeat in Spain on 11 September. Lautaro Martínez has been sidelined since 26 August by an injury to his left calf.

• On 14 August Inter coach Luciano Spalletti extended his contract until 2021.

Tottenham
• Summer transfers
In: none
Out: Keanan Bennetts (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Anton Walkes (Portsmouth), Reo Griffiths (Olympique Lyonnais), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Swansea City, loan), Marcus Edwards (Excelsior, loan), Josh Onomah (Sheffield Wednesday, loan)

• Hugo Lloris' next UEFA Champions League appearance will be his 50th.

• Spurs suffered a second successive Premier League defeat on Saturday, going down 2-1 at home to Liverpool. It was the first time Mauricio Pochettino's side have lost consecutive league games since May 2016.

• Harry Kane scored his first August goal in the Premier League – in his 15th fixture – as Spurs beat Fulham 3-1 in their second game of the season.

• Lloris was captain of the France side that lifted the FIFA World Cup this summer, the Spurs goalkeeper playing in six of the seven games in Russia and winning his 100th cap during the tournament.

• Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld both made six appearances as Belgium finished third at the World Cup, the former scoring against Japan in the round of 16; Mousa Dembélé played in four games.

• Kane's six goals – including a hat-trick against Paraguay – gave him the Golden Boot at the World Cup. Kieran Trippier, Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Dele Alli were also in the England squad that finished fourth.

• Heung-Min Son scored late goals in South Korea's defeat by Mexico and win against Germany in the group stage in Russia. He also subsequently helped his country to victory at the Asian Games.

• Christian Eriksen, who scored against Australia in the World Cup group stage but missed a penalty in the shoot-out as Denmark were eliminated by Croatia in the round of 16, struck both goals as the Danes beat Wales 2-0 in the UEFA Nations League on 9 September.

• Erik Lamela returned to score Tottenham's goal against Liverpool having been out since 27 August with a hamstring problem. Moussa Sissoko and Alli are sidelined with similar injuries.

• On 13 September, Lloris was ruled out for "several weeks" with a thigh injury.