Inter vs Crvena Zvezda facts

Inter and Crvena Zvezda will both look for their first win of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League when they meet at San Siro on Matchday 2.

The Italian side held Manchester City to a goalless draw in England in their first fixture, a repeat of the 2023 final, while Crvena Zvezda were beaten 1-2 at home by Benfica.

Previous meetings

1980/81 European Cup quarter-finals
Inter 1-1 Crvena Zvezda
Crvena Zvezda 0-1 Inter

The first leg at San Siro finished all square with Domenico Caso's first-half strike for the home side cancelled out by Srebrenko Repčić with 15 minutes remaining, but a 13th-minute Carlo Muraro goal in the Belgrade return proved enough for Inter to progress.

Form guide

Inter

Record vs Serbian clubs: W6 D2 L0 F14 A4
Home record vs Serbian clubs: W3 D1 L0

This is Inter's first game against a Serbian club since the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League group stage, when they won 1-0 at home and 3-1 away against Crvena Zvezda's Belgrade rivals Partizan.

That made it four wins in their last five games against teams from Serbia (D1) and two in a row at home.

This is the Nerazzurri's 18th appearance in the Champions League, and a seventh in succession.

Runners-up to Manchester City in the 2023 final – Inter's most successful Champions League campaign since lifting the trophy in 2010 – Simone Inzaghi's side were second behind Real Sociedad in Group D in 2023/24 but were then edged out by Atlético de Madrid in the round of 16 (1-0 h, 1-2 a, 2-3 pens).

That was the second time in the last three seasons than Inter's campaign had foundered in the last 16.

Inter have won only ten of their last 22 home Champions League games (D7 L5), although nine of those have come in their last 13 matches (D2 L2).

Champions of Europe in 1964, 1965 and 2010, Inter claimed their 20th Serie A title in 2023/24, finishing 19 points clear of runners-up AC Milan. It was their first championship since 2021 and only a second in the past 14 seasons.

Crvena Zvezda

Record vs Italian clubs: W2 D10 L11 F18 A30
Away record vs Italian clubs: W1 D4 L6

This is Crvena Zvezda's first game against a team from Italy since losing on away goals to Inter's city rivals AC Milan in the 2020/21 Europa League round of 32 (2-2 h, 1-1 a).

That made it eight games without a win against Serie A sides (D4 L4), since a 3-1 win at home to Roma in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage.

A 2-0 success at Chievo Verona in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup first round second leg remains Crvena Zvezda's only victory away to an Italian club.

It was in Italy, however, that they won the 1990/91 European Cup, beating Marseille on penalties after a goalless draw in Bari.

The Belgrade side have reached the Champions League proper for the fourth time – all since 2018/19.

Crvena Zvezda finished fourth in Group G in 2023/24, behind Manchester City, Leipzig and Young Boys. They lost five of their six games, the exception a 2-2 home draw against the Swiss side on Matchday 2.

The Serbian club started their 2024/25 European campaign in the play-offs, turning round a 2-1 first-leg loss at Bodø/Glimt with a 2-0 home win against the Norwegian champions to progress.

Crvena Zvezda have lost their last eight away European games. A 2-0 victory at Armenian side Pyunik in the 2022/23 Champions League third qualifying round is the only one of their last ten away matches in Europe they have not lost.

Crvena Zvezda claimed their seventh successive league title – and 35th overall – in 2023/24, also winning the Serbian Cup for the fourth season in a row.

Links and trivia

Have played in Italy:
Rade Krunić (Empoli 2015–19, AC Milan 2019–24 )
Nemanja Radonjić (Roma youth 2014, Empoli youth 2014/15, Roma 2015–17, Torino 2022–24)

Have played together:
Piotr Zieliński & Rade Krunić (Empoli 2015/16)
Hakan Çalhanoğlu & Rade Krunić (Milan 2019–21)

Dejan Stanković, who won the treble with Inter in 2009/10 and picked up a further four Serie A titles, scored 42 goals in 326 games for the Nerazzurri between 2003 and 2013. He had made his name with Crvena Zvezda, whom he joined in 1991 aged 13 and went on to score 39 goals in 113 first-team appearances from 1995 to 1998, winning a league title and three domestic cups and becoming both the club's youngest player and scorer.

Latest news

Inter

On Saturday two Lautaro Martínez goals, his first of the season, earned Inter a 3-2 victory at Udinese.

The Nerazzurri were beaten 1-2 at home by neighbours AC Milan on 22 September.

Inter had won the previous six derbies in all competitions; seven would have been a new record.

Federico Dimarco scored Inter's goal, meaning he has scored in every Serie A season since returning to the club in 2021/22.

Nicolò Barella suffered a right thigh injury during the derby and missed the weekend win.

Tajon Buchanan is yet to play this season after suffering a fibula fracture in the summer.

On 16 September midfielder Kristjan Asllani renewed his contract until 2028.

Crvena Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda have won eight of their nine league games this season, scoring 27 goals and conceding five. They were 2-1 victors at home to Železničar Pančevo on Friday.

The Serbian champions have scored four goals in five of their nine league matches.

Cherif Ndiaye's hat-trick in a 4-0 derby win at Partizan on 23 September made him Crvena Zvezda's top scorer in the league this season with seven goals, two more than Bruno Duarte.

Ognjen Mimović has not played since being replaced in the first half on Matchday 1 with a metatarsal injury.

Vladimir Lučić has been sidelined with a knee injury since 2 March.