Adriano's hat - trick at San Siro... Inter vs. Porto, previous encounters

15 March 2005, San Siro, the return leg in the round of 16 of the Champions League. Inter vs. Porto, after a 1-1 draw in the first fixture. It was time for Adriano, the Emperor, to take centre stage. An unforgettable hat-trick, a magical night.

This is one of four previous encounters between Inter and Porto, with the two teams set to meet again in the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition on 22 February and 14 March.

That trio of goals in Milan came after Obafemi Martins had bagged in Portugal, although Roberto Mancini's team were then knocked out in the quarter-finals.

23/02/2005 Porto 1-1 Inter 24' Martins, 62' Ricardo Costa 15/03/2005 Inter 3-1 Porto 6' Adriano, 65' Adriano, 71' Jorge Costa, 88' Adriano

The following Champions League campaign saw Inter and Porto face each other again, this time during the group stage. In addition to the Portuguese side, the Nerazzurri were in the same group as Artmedia Bratislava and Rangers. Inter finished top, but, as in the previous season, fell short in the quarters.

In the match at the Estadio do Dragao, Inter had lost 2-0. They bounced back at San Siro, however, winning 2-1 thanks to a brace from Julio Ricardo Cruz.

19/10/2005 Porto 2-0 Inter 22' og Materazzi, 35' McCarthy 01/11/2005 Inter 2-1 Porto 16' Hugo Almeida, 76' Cruz (pen.), 83' Cruz

INTER VS. PORTO, THE STATS

Simone Inzaghi is the first Inter coach to lead the Nerazzurri to the round of 16 stage of the Champions League in two consecutive seasons since José Mourinho did so in 2008/09 and 2009/10.

In four meetings with Porto in Europe, Inter have lost just once (W2, D1), winning both games at the Meazza. These victories came in the round of 16 of the Champions League in 2004/05 and in the group stage of the same competition the following season.

Porto have found the net in each of their four previous encounters with Inter in Europe, scoring five in total.

For the third time since the start of the new millennium, Inter will face a Portuguese side in the round of 16 of a European competition: over two legs, they previously defeated Benfica in the UEFA Cup in 2003/04 and Porto in the Champions League in 2004/05.

Inter have won each of their last six home games against Portuguese teams in Europe, the most recent of which was their victory over Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on 22 November 2006.

Porto have won three of their six Champions League matches against Italian sides with Sérgio Conceição in the dugout (D1, L2). Their last such encounter took place on 3 November 2021, when they drew 1-1 with AC Milan during the group stage.

Sérgio Conceição played twelve times for Inter in the UEFA Champions League, with all of these appearances coming during the 2002/03 campaign.