Southampton can consider themselves extremely unlucky not to have come away with anything from the San Siro a fortnight ago.
The Saints dominated the game from start to finish and were only let down by a failure to convert their chances.
Jay Rodriguez, Virgil van Dijk and Dusan Tadic were particularly guilty of fluffing their lines while Charlie Austin had chances to break through after coming on as a substitute.
But Claude Puel seemed to have the better of Frank De Boer until Antonio Candreva’s clinical finish broke the deadlock against the run of play.
Southampton had 55% possession of the ball and also produced 13 attempts on goal to Inter’s eight, so they’ll fancy their chances even more against a side who have just sacked their manager – especially upon playing in the familiar surroundings of St. Mary’s.
But matches of such importance, with qualification to the next round of the Europa League potentially on the line, often come down to which side dominates the key individual battles. We’ve taken a look at five that will decide Thursday’s result.
GARY MEDEL VS ORIOL ROMEU
Premier League fans may well remember Gary Medel from his time at Cardiff City. The Chilean was nicknamed ‘The Pitbull’ for his ability to break down the play.
His opposite number, Oriol Romeu, has been a surprise revelation in the Saints midfield this season and has gained a lot of recognition for his ability to anchor.
Whichever of the two defensive midfielders comes out on top will have a big say on how the match pans out.
RYAN BERTRAND VS ANTONIO CANDREVA
Sam McQueen did an honourable job deputising for Ryan Bertrand at the San Siro.
There aren’t many defenders who can claim to have played well against such illustrious opposition, particularly at the age of 21.
It is likely Ryan Bertrand will come in for Thursday’s game, however, after returning to the fold against Chelsea. While McQueen arguably should have tracked Candreva’s run for the goal, the more experienced Bertrand shouldn’t make the same mistake.
CHARLIE AUSTIN VS SAMIR HANDANOVIC
As was highlighted in the introduction, the Saints would have been home and dry were they able to beat Samir Handanovic.
The Slovenian stopper is one of the best in the world and it will take something special to beat him if he plays like he did a fortnight ago.
If the Saints want to win at St Mary’s, they’ll play Charlie Austin. The former QPR man is by far and away their best finisher and is their likeliest chance past the Inter keeper.
NATHAN REDMOND VS MIRANDA
Southampton’s failure to beat Inter has left Group K completely in the balance.
The Saints are level on four points with Hapoel Beer Sheva with the Italians just one behind. That means if the Saints want to progress and finish top, they need to play their strongest side.
Nathan Redmond has been one of their biggest threats this season and leads the way for shots-per-game in the league with 2.8. He may well be the best bet to challenge the experienced Miranda and find a way through.
MAURO ICARDI VS VIRGIL VAN DIJK
Despite being held off by the Saints at the San Siro, Mauro Accord undoubtedly remains Inter’s greatest threat.
The Argentine has netted eight goals in 11 starts this season and can challenge any defence with his clever positioning and ruthless finishing.
Fortunately the Saints have one of the Premier League’s best defenders. Van Dijk is dominant in the air and should be able to match Icardi in terms of positioning.
The Dutchman may even be able to chip in with a goal at the other end.
