Liverpool return to UEFA Champions League action on Wednesday night, as they face Serie A holders Inter in the Round of 16.
The Reds set a new record for English clubs in the group stages as they won six games out of six, finishing top of Group B to qualify for the knockout stages. Since their last Champions League game in early December, Liverpool have continued to impress and will be looking to extend their strong run of form, but it won’t be an easy affair as they face Italian giants Inter.
The Reds' last outing saw Jurgen Klopp’s side earn a hard-fought 1-0 win against Burnley, with no injuries being picked up at Turf Moor.
And with Liverpool currently having a clean bill of health at the club, it means that Klopp will have a fully fit squad to choose from on Wednesday night. January signing Luis Diaz is available to play despite already featuring in the competition with Porto in the group stages.
Thiago is also expected to return to the starting XI after dropping to the bench on Sunday.
So, what line-up will Klopp select? And, what could the final score be? We used FIFA 22 to get a score prediction for Inter Milan vs Liverpool and this is what happened...
Inter vs Liverpool score predicted by simulation
We used kick-off mode in FIFA 22, but didn't select a team to control, we then selected the teams and watched the match play out by itself, to give us a score prediction.
We predict that Simeone Inzaghi's side could set up in a 3-5-2 formation, with their line-up as follows: Handanovic; Skriniar, de Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Vidal, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Perisic; Dzeko, Martinez.
We predict that Liverpool could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Jota, Mane.
After a tight opening 25 minutes at the San Siro, Liverpool broke the deadlock with their first major chance of the game through Sadio Mane.
Mohamed Salah waited patiently on the left for the overlapping run of Trent Alexander-Arnold and found the Englishman with a killer through ball, and the full-back drilled a cross to the back post which was met by Mane, firing past Asmir Handanovic to give the Reds the lead.
The goal from Mane sent the Reds into half-time with a 1-0 lead, but that was cancelled out early in the second half as Edin Dzeko volleyed through the tightest of gaps to find the equaliser.
A cross from Denzel Dumfries found Dzeko inside the box at the near post, and the striker fizzed a volley towards goal. His effort was sent through the legs of both Virgil van Dijk and Alisson in quick succession, handing the home side a bizarre equaliser.
Liverpool didn't back down though and regained the lead with 25 minutes remaining, as Fabinho kept up his impressive goalscoring record in 2022 with a vital goal for Klopp's side.
A short corner saw Thiago receive the ball on the edge of the box and send a cross towards the back post, and Fabinho towered over three Inter defenders to meet the cross, powering his header past Handanovic and into the centre of the goal.
Naby Keita came on for the final 15 minutes to replace Jordan Henderson, and the midfielder found Liverpool's third goal with his first few touches of the game, scoring from long distance.
As Liverpool patiently attempted to break down Inter's deep-lying defence, Keita received the ball outside the box and wasn't pressed, allowing the 27-year-old to try his luck from distance.
His fantastic effort swerved away from the 'keeper as he dove to his right, nestling in the corner of the goal to open the gap between both sides to two goals.
A long ball from Inter Milan in the last minute saw Ivan Perisic beat the Liverpool high line and blast past Alisson when one-on-one to grab a late goal for the home side. A frustrating goal to concede heading into the second-leg at Anfield, but the Reds still emerged victorious at the San Siro.
FIFA 22 predicted final score: Inter 2-3 Liverpool
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 22 predicts that a dominant display from Liverpool could see the Reds leave the San Siro with three goals and a win, but a lack of concentration in defence could hand Inter two goals, setting up a tense contest in the second leg.
What do you think the final score will be between Liverpool and Leicester City? Let us know in the comments!
FIFA 22 is the latest game in EA's popular FIFA video game franchise, which was released worldwide on Friday, October 1, 2021. The game is available now on all platforms including Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia and PC.
