Inter vs Feyenoord facts

Inter are well placed to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the second time in three years as they welcome Feyenoord to Milan holding a 2-0 advantage.

The Italian champions ensured Robin van Persie's European debut as Feyenoord coach ended in defeat in Rotterdam on 5 March, goals either side of half-time from Marcus Thuram (38) and Lautaro Martínez (50) securing victory. The Nerazzurri, who made it eight clean sheets in nine games in this season's competition, could have added a third from the spot, but Piotr Zieliński's penalty was well saved by Timon Wellenreuther.

Previous meetings

2001/02 UEFA Cup semi-final
Inter 0-1 Feyenoord
Feyenoord 2-2 Inter
The Dutch side edged past Inter on their way to lifting the UEFA Cup on home soil, Iván Córdoba's own goal at San Siro giving them the edge in the tie. Pierre van Hooijdonk and Jon Dahl Tomasson stretched the aggregate advantage in the first half of the Rotterdam return, though Feyenoord were left hanging on after Cristiano Zanetti and Mohamed Kallon, a penalty, struck in the final ten minutes.

Van Persie started both legs in what was his debut season in Feyenoord's first team.

Form guide

Inter

Record vs Dutch clubs: W10 D7 L5 F28 A19
Home record vs Dutch clubs: W6 D2 L2

The win at Feyenoord made it 12 games unbeaten (W8 D4) since Inter's home defeat by the same opponents in 2002.

Before the first leg, Inter had not played Eredivisie opponents since taking four points off PSV Eindhoven in the 2018/19 Champions League group stage (2-1 a, 1-1 h).

The 2018 draw against PSV ended Inter's four-game winning streak at home to Dutch clubs.

The Nerazzurri's last knockout tie against a team from Netherlands was a 3-2 aggregate defeat of Ajax in the 2005/06 round of 16 (2-2 a, 1-0 h), making their aggregate record W4 L2 with victories in four of the last five.

Inter's first game against Dutch opponents was a 2-0 loss to Ajax in the 1972 European Cup final at the Stadion Feijenoord 'De Kuip'.

Runners-up to Manchester City in the 2023 final, losing 1-0 in Istanbul, Simone Inzaghi's side were edged out by Atlético de Madrid in last season's 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, where their overall record is W5 L6, the defeats all in their last nine ties.

Since reaching the quarter-finals as holders in 2010/11, the 2022/23 campaign is the only one in which Inter won a Champions League knockout tie.

Inter have won 14 of their last 26 home Champions League games (D7 L5), although 13 of their last 17 (D2 L2), including against Crvena Zvezda (4-0), Arsenal and Leipzig (both 1-0) and Monaco (3-0) this season.

The Nerazzurri have won 19 of the 20 UEFA competition ties in which they have triumphed away from home in the first leg, including six times out of seven by a 2-0 scoreline, most recently against Milan in the 2022/23 semi-finals (1-0 h). Their only aggregate defeat came in the third round of the 1988/89 UEFA Cup against Bayern München, when they followed a 2-0 win in Munich with a 1-3 defeat in Milan and exited on away goals.

Inter's record in five UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W2 L3:
5-4 v Celtic, 1971/72 European Cup semi-final
3-4 v Aston Villa, 1994/95 UEFA Cup first round
5-3 v Grazer AK, 1996/97 UEFA Cup second round
1-4 v Schalke, 1996/97 UEFA Cup final
2-3 v Atlético de Madrid, 2023/24 Champions League round of 16

Feyenoord

Record vs Italian clubs: W9 D7 L10 F28 A35
Away record vs Italian clubs: W2 D3 L7

Feyenoord eliminated Inter's city rivals Milan in the knockout phase play-offs (1-0 h, 1-1 a).

The first-leg defeat by Inter ended Feyenoord's four-match unbeaten run against Italian opponents (W1 D3) – although the first-leg win against Milan is their only victory in the last six.

The Dutch side's last three European campaigns have all ended in defeat against Roma – most recently in last season's Europa League knockout phase play-offs (1-1 h, 1-1 a, 2-4 pens).

The Rotterdam club won four of their first seven games against Serie A sides (D1 L2) but have managed only five victories in their subsequent 19 (D6 L8).

Last season's draw at Roma ended Feyenoord's run of four successive defeats away to Italian clubs – although the draw against Milan this season extended their winless sequence to eight matches (D3 L5).

This season's win against Milan ended Feyenoord's run of three successive defeats in two-legged ties against Italian teams; their aggregate record is now W3 L3.

European champions in 1970, Feyenoord have never before reached the Champions League knockout rounds, although they did make the second group stage in 1999/2000.

A 3-2 Matchday 2 win at Girona this season was Feyenoord's first in 12 away European games (D4 L7) and ended the Dutch club's run of eight successive away defeats in the Champions League proper. The 3-1 Matchday 3 victory at Benfica is one of three in Feyenoord's last 18 away Champions League fixtures (D4 L11) and one of only five in the competition proper (D7 L14).

Feyenoord have lost five of the six European ties in which they were beaten in the home first leg, the exception an away-goals victory against Kalmar in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup first round (0-1 h, 2-1 a). On the sole previous occasion they went down 0-2 at home, against Teplice in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup second round, they drew 1-1 in the away return.

Feyenoord's record in three UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W2 L1:
5-3 v Sion, 1991/92 European Cup Winners’ Cup second round
5-4 v PSV Eindhoven, 2001/02 UEFA Cup quarter-final
1-4 v Roma, 2023/24 Europa League knockout phase play-off

Links and trivia

Inter's Dutch centre-back Stefan de Vrij joined Feyenoord in 2002 aged ten. Having signed his first professional contract in July 2009, he made his first-team debut two months later and went on to feature 154 times in all competitions, scoring seven goals, before leaving for Lazio in 2014.

Have also played in Netherlands:
Denzel Dumfries (Sparta Rotterdam 2014–17, Herenveen 2017/18, PSV Eindhoven 2018–21)
Marko Arnautović (Twente 2006–09)
Yann Bisseck (Roda JC 2019/20)

Have played in Italy:
Dávid Hancko (Fiorentina 2018/19)
Facundo González (Juventus 2023–, Sampdoria 2023/24 loan)

International team-mates:
Marko Arnautović & Gernot Trauner (Austria)
Yann Sommer & Jordan Lotomba (Switzerland)
Piotr Zieliński, Nicola Zalewski & Jakub Moder (Poland)

Latest news

Inter

Serie A leaders Inter came from 0-2 down to beat bottom side Monza 3-2 at San Siro on Saturday, only their third win in seven league games (D2 L2).

On 1 March, Inter conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at second-placed Napoli.

Lautaro Martínez's winner in a 1-0 victory against Genoa on 22 February made it 113 league goals, taking him joint-seventh with Roberto Boninsegna on Inter's all-time Serie A scorers. Sandro Mazzola, on 116 goals, is next on the list.

On 25 February Inter defeated Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals to set up a semi-final against city rivals Milan.

Carlos Augusto was a half-time substitute on Saturday having missed four games with a calf injury.

Goalkeeper Yann Sommer has not played since suffering a fractured thumb in his right hand against Juventus on 16 February, although he has been an unused substitute in the last two games.

Federico Dimarco, whose free-kick had given Inter the lead at Napoli, was substituted early in the second half with a muscular problem and missed the first leg against Feyenoord and Saturday's win.

Nicola Zalewski has been ruled out until mid-March with a calf injury, while Matteo Darmian limped off in the first half against Lazio with a thigh injury and has not played since.

Feyenoord

Feyenoord's weekend game against Groningen has been rearranged for 2 April.

The first-leg defeat by Inter ended Feyenoord's six-game unbeaten in all competitions (W3 D3), since a 2-0 loss at PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Cup quarter-final on 5 February.

Robin van Persie was appointed coach on 23 February, signing a contract until 2027, after Brian Priske departed on 10 February.

Van Persie's first game in charge was a 0-0 draw at home to NEC Nijmegen on 1 March.

A 2-1 home win against Almere City on 22 February is one of only two in Feyenoord's last eight Eredivisie matches (D3 L3).

The Rotterdam club's three defeats in their last eight Eredivisie matches are as many as in their previous 50 fixtures.

Quinten Timber (knee) has been out since going off injured in the first leg against Milan.

Gernot Trauner has not played since a 2-1 defeat at Ajax on 2 February while Bart Nieuwkoop (leg) and Inbeom Hwang (leg) have been out since 8 February.

Justin Bijlow has been ruled out for a lengthy period after suffering a knee injury on Matchday 7.

Ramiz Zerrouki missed Matchday 7 with a leg injury and has not played since. Calvin Stengs was replaced early in the second half of that game with a hamstring problem, returning as a substitute in the second leg against Milan only to suffer an ankle injury.

Feyenoord have used 36 players in this season's Eredivisie, a new competition record, surpassing the previous mark of 31.