From Real Madrid to Liverpool: the stories behind Inter's Champions League opponents

The draw at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo has determined Inter's path in the 2026/27 Champions League League Phase.

These are the eight teams the Nerazzurri will face between September and January: Liverpool, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk, Feyenoord, Stuttgart and Slovan Bratislava.

UEFA will announce the official League Phase schedule by Saturday 29 August.

Inter's home games will be against Liverpool, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk and Stuttgart.

The Nerazzurri will travel to face Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava.

LIVERPOOL

For the second year running, Inter will face Liverpool on their European journey. The Nerazzurri also hosted the Reds at San Siro in last season's League Phase, with the English side winning 1-0. This season's meeting will be the eighth between the two clubs. Their first encounters came in the 1960s, in the semi-finals of the 1964/65 European Cup, when Herrera's Grande Inter overturned a 3-1 first-leg defeat with a famous 3-0 victory at San Siro. Corso, Peirò and Facchetti scored on a historic night for the Nerazzurri, after which Mazzola had "Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In" played over the stadium speakers, the song that had accompanied Inter as they left the pitch at Anfield. The two sides later met in the Champions League round of 16 in both 2007/08 and 2021/22, with Liverpool progressing on both occasions.

The meeting with the Reds will be particularly special for Curtis Jones, who was born and raised in Liverpool. The new Nerazzurri midfielder will immediately come up against his former club.

Previous meetings:

• Liverpool 3-1 Inter (3' Hunt, 10' Mazzola, 33' Callaghan, 74' St. John) – 1964/65 European Cup semi-final

• Inter 3-0 Liverpool (8' Corso, 9' Peirò, 62' Facchetti) – 1964/65 European Cup semi-final

• Liverpool 2-0 Inter (86' Kuyt, 91' Gerrard) – 2007/08 Champions League round of 16

• Inter 0-1 Liverpool (65' Fernando Torres) – 2007/08 Champions League round of 16

• Inter 0-2 Liverpool (77' Firmino, 85' Salah) – 2021/22 Champions League round of 16

• Liverpool 0-1 Inter (69' Martínez) – 2021/22 Champions League round of 16

• Inter 0-1 Liverpool (95' Szoboszlai pen.) – 2025/26 Champions League League Phase

REAL MADRID

Inter and Real Madrid renew a historic and prestigious rivalry as they prepare to meet for the 20th time in European competition. The fixture has produced a number of iconic encounters over the years, starting with the match that saw Inter lift the first European Cup in their history in 1963/64, thanks to a Mazzola brace and a goal from Milani. The rivalry became something of a European classic in the 1980s, when the two sides met eight times. Their most recent encounters came in the group stage of the 2021/22 Champions League, with Real Madrid winning both matches.

The game at the Bernabéu will be a special occasion for José Mourinho, who is back in the Blancos dugout this season, and Denzel Dumfries, who will come up against his former teammates.

Previous meetings:

• Inter 3-1 Real Madrid (43' Mazzola, 62' Milani, 69' Felo Bautista, 76' Mazzola) – 1963/64 European Cup final

• Real Madrid 1-0 Inter (12' Pirri) – 1965/66 European Cup semi-final

• Inter 1-1 Real Madrid (20' Amancio, 78' Facchetti) – 1965/66 European Cup semi-final

• Inter 1-0 Real Madrid (54' Cappellini) – 1966/67 European Cup quarter-final

• Real Madrid 0-2 Inter (23' Cappellini, 57' Zoco own goal) – 1966/67 European Cup quarter-final

• Real Madrid 2-0 Inter (29' Santillana, 47' Juanito) – 1980/81 European Cup semi-final

• Inter 1-0 Real Madrid (57' Bini) – 1980/81 European Cup semi-final

• Inter 1-1 Real Madrid (16' Oriali, 59' Gallego) – 1982/83 Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final

• Real Madrid 2-1 Inter (20' Altobelli, 51' Salguero, 55' Santillana) – 1982/83 Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final

• Inter 2-0 Real Madrid (25' Brady pen., 57' Altobelli) – 1984/85 UEFA Cup semi-final

• Real Madrid 3-0 Inter (12' Santillana, 42' Santillana, 57' Michel) – 1984/85 UEFA Cup semi-final

• Inter 3-1 Real Madrid (1', 54' Tardelli, 87' Valdano, 89' Salguero own goal) – 1985/86 UEFA Cup semi-final

• Real Madrid 5-1 Inter AET (44' Sánchez pen., 63' Gordillo, 66' Brady pen., 74' Sánchez pen., 94', 107' Santillana) – 1985/86 UEFA Cup semi-final

• Real Madrid 2-0 Inter (80' Hierro pen., 91' Seedorf) – 1998/99 Champions League group stage

• Inter 3-1 Real Madrid (50' Zamorano, 59' Seedorf, 85', 92' R. Baggio) – 1998/99 Champions League group stage

• Real Madrid 3-2 Inter (26' Benzema, 33' Ramos, 36' Martínez, 69' Perisic, 81' Rodrygo) – 2020/21 Champions League group stage

• Inter 0-2 Real Madrid (7' Hazard pen., 61' Hakimi own goal) – 2020/21 Champions League group stage

• Inter 0-1 Real Madrid (91' Rodrygo) – 2021/22 Champions League group stage

• Real Madrid 2-0 Inter (17' Kroos, 80' Asensio) – 2021/22 Champions League group stage

CLUB BRUGGE

Inter and Club Brugge, short for Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging, have never met before. It will therefore be a first encounter for Chivu's side, who faced Belgian opposition in last season's Champions League, beating Union St. Gilloise 4-0.

The fixture will be particularly special for two players who have represented both clubs. Yann Sommer is now Club Brugge's goalkeeper after spending three seasons with Inter and winning two Scudetti. The Swiss goalkeeper joined the Belgian club this summer following a memorable spell in Milano. Aleksandar Stankovic made the move in the opposite direction: the 2005-born midfielder played for Club Brugge last season, making 54 appearances and scoring nine goals, including three in 14 Champions League appearances.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Dortmund again! Inter will return to Westphalia after facing the Schwarzgelben in January 2026, on the final matchday of last season's League Phase in the Champions League. That trip ended with two late Nerazzurri goals: Dimarco's fantastic free-kick and Andy Diouf's finish to seal it.

Inter and Dortmund have met seven times, starting with the semi-finals of the 1963/64 European Cup, when goals from Mazzola, Corso and Jair helped Herrera's side reach the final. They met again in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, with the Nerazzurri progressing before going on to win the competition. More recently, the two sides faced each other twice in the 2019/20 Champions League group stage: Inter won at San Siro before suffering a comeback defeat in Dortmund.

The fixture will have a familiar feel for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji. The Armenian midfielder spent three seasons at Dortmund from 2013 to 2016, making 140 appearances and scoring 41 goals, while the Swiss defender played for the German outfit from 2018 to 2022, recording 158 appearances and four goals.

Other players to have represented both clubs over the years include Matthias Sammer, Achraf Hakimi and Paulo Sousa.

Previous meetings:

• Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Inter (4' Mazzola, 23' Brungs, 28' Brungs, 41' Corso) – 1963/64 European Cup semi-final

• Inter 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (48' Mazzola, 75' Jair) – 1963/64 European Cup semi-final

• Borussia Dortmund 1-3 Inter (33', 36' Jonk, 82' Schulz, 89' Shalimov) – 1993/94 UEFA Cup quarter-final

• Inter 1-2 Borussia Dortmund (39' Zorc, 47' Ricken, 81' Manicone) – 1993/94 UEFA Cup quarter-final

• Inter 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (22' Martínez, 90' Candreva) – 2019/20 Champions League group stage

• Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Inter (5' Martínez, 40' Vecino, 52' Hakimi, 65' Brandt, 78' Hakimi) – 2019/20 Champions League group stage

• Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Inter (81' Dimarco, 95' Diouf) – 2025/26 Champions League League Phase

SHAKHTAR DONETSK

This will be the eighth meeting between Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk, an opponent the Nerazzurri have faced on several occasions in recent years. Their first encounter with the Ukrainian side came in 2005, when Inter met Shakhtar in Champions League qualifying. The Nerazzurri secured an impressive victory in Donetsk before drawing at San Siro in a match played behind closed doors. In the long summer of 2020, Inter knocked Shakhtar out of the Europa League with a resounding 5-0 victory in the semi-finals, booking their place in the final in Cologne. The two sides then met again in the Champions League group stage in both 2020/21 and 2021/22. After three consecutive goalless draws, Inter claimed a 2-0 victory in December 2021 thanks to an Edin Dzeko brace, securing a place in the round of 16 for the first time in nine years.

Previous meetings:

• Shakhtar Donetsk 0-2 Inter (69' Martins, 80' Adriano) – 2005/06 Champions League qualifying

• Inter 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (12' Recoba, 25' Elano) – 2005/06 Champions League qualifying

• Inter 5-0 Shakhtar Donetsk (19' Martínez, 65' D'Ambrosio, 75' Martínez, 80', 84' Lukaku) – 2019/20 Europa League semi-final

• Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Inter – 2020/21 Champions League group stage

• Inter 0-0 Shakhtar Donetsk – 2020/21 Champions League group stage

• Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Inter – 2021/22 Champions League group stage

• Inter 2-0 Shakhtar Donetsk (63', 69' Dzeko) – 2021/22 Champions League group stage

FEYENOORD

The game in Rotterdam will be the fifth meeting between Inter and Feyenoord, who last faced each other in the round of 16 of the 2024/25 Champions League. The Nerazzurri won both legs, with Thuram and Lautaro securing a 2-0 victory in the Netherlands before the French forward and a Calhanoglu penalty sealed Inter's place in the quarter-finals at San Siro. The first meetings between the sides came in 2001/02, when Feyenoord knocked Inter out in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. Notably, Julio Cruz and Stefan De Vrij, both fondly remembered for their time in Nerazzurri colours, also represented Feyenoord.

Previous meetings:

• Inter 0-1 Feyenoord (50' Córdoba own goal) – 2001/02 UEFA Cup semi-final

• Feyenoord 2-2 Inter (17' Van Hooijdonk, 34' Tomasson, 85' C. Zanetti, 91' Kallon) – 2001/02 UEFA Cup semi-final

• Feyenoord 0-2 Inter (38' Thuram, 53' Martínez) – 2024/25 Champions League round of 16

• Inter 2-1 Feyenoord (8' Thuram, 42' Moder pen., 54' Calhanoglu pen.) – 2024/25 Champions League round of 16

STUTTGART

Inter and Stuttgart have never met in a competitive match, so this will be a first in European competition, although the two sides have played four friendlies over the years.

For Benjamin Pavard, it will be a meeting with his former club. The French defender spent three seasons at Stuttgart from 2016 to 2019, making 88 appearances and scoring two goals.

Several other players have represented both clubs. Jürgen Klinsmann joined Inter in 1989 after five seasons at Stuttgart, where he had been a prolific goalscorer. Matthias Sammer followed the same path, moving to Milano from Stuttgart in 1992. Hansi Müller and Zdravko Kuzmanović also played for both clubs.

Previous friendly meetings:

• Stuttgart 1-2 Inter (13' Juary, 27' Six, 53' H. Müller) – 1982 friendly, Stuttgart

• Stuttgart 2-1 Inter (14' Walter pen., 48' Dubaijc, 66' Battistini) – 1991 friendly, Stuttgart

• Inter 0-5 Stuttgart (22', 37' Buchwald, 39' Gaudino, 46' Knup, 68' Walter) – 1992 friendly, Monza

• Inter 2-0 Stuttgart (4' Martins, 87' C. Vieri) – 2003 friendly, Bolzano

SLOVAN BRATISLAVA

This will not be Inter's first meeting with Slovan Bratislava: the sides previously faced each other over two legs in the 1982/83 Cup Winners' Cup. Inter knocked out the Slovak side, winning 2-0 in Milano before losing the return leg 2-1. The first leg, however, became famous for two penalties missed by the unforgettable Evaristo Beccalossi. The occasion underlined the special bond between San Siro and Becca, with the Inter faithful immediately forgiving the Nerazzurri playmaker and continuing to cheer him on.

Previous meetings:

• Inter 2-0 Slovan Bratislava (78' Altobelli, 83' Sabato) – 1982/83 Cup Winners' Cup round of 32

• Slovan Bratislava 2-1 Inter (5' Müller pen., 25' Takac, 78' Bobek) – 1982/83 Cup Winners' Cup round of 32