Feyenoord vs Inter Milan: can the Dutch giants expose Inter's European weaknesses?

Feyenoord host Inter Milan at De Kuip on Tuesday, with both sides looking to strengthen their Champions League campaigns.

Both teams have collected just three points from their opening three league-phase fixtures, making this an important opportunity to improve their chances of reaching the knockout stages.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Feyenoord have enjoyed a strong start to their Eredivisie campaign, collecting 25 points from 11 matches without defeat.

However, their European form has been less convincing, suffering defeats against Barcelona and Real Betis either side of a 3-2 victory over Como.

Their latest domestic outing ended in a 1-1 draw against Fortuna Sittard, and they will be hoping to return to winning ways against an Inter side coming off a disappointing derby defeat.

Cristian Chivu's Inter suffered a 3-1 loss against AC Milan on Saturday, adding to an inconsistent start to their campaign.

Their Champions League performances have also been mixed, losing against Real Madrid and Club Brugge before securing a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Despite their recent struggles, Inter possess considerably more European experience, with Marcus Thuram and Hakan Çalhanoğlu likely to be crucial if they are to take all three points in Rotterdam.

Previous meetings:

The two sides have met four times competitively, with Inter winning twice, Feyenoord once and the remaining fixture ending in a draw.

Their first meetings came in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup semi-finals, when Feyenoord progressed 3-2 on aggregate before going on to lift the trophy.

However, Inter gained revenge in the 2024/25 Champions League Round of 16, winning both legs 2-0 and 2-1 to progress comfortably.

Marcus Thuram scored in both encounters and will once again be one to watch.

Team news:

Feyenoord have several injury concerns, with Jeremiah St. Juste, Thomas Beelen, Reiss Nelson, Gijs Smal, Bart Nieuwkoop and Shaqueel van Persie among those facing fitness issues.

Inter will be without Alessandro Bastoni, who is suspended following his red card against Shakhtar Donetsk. Lautaro Martínez is also a doubt with a thigh injury, while Benjamin Pavard and Luis Henrique have fitness concerns.

Carlos Augusto is expected to replace Bastoni in the back three, while Marcus Thuram could partner Ange-Yoan Bonny if Martínez fails to recover.

Predicted line-ups:

Feyenoord predicted XI (4-3-3): Tjark Ernst; Givairo Read, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Mika Mármol, Javi López; Gjivai Zechiël, Charles Vanhoutte, Oussama Targhalline; Anis Hadj Moussa, Nacho Ferri, Luciano Valente.

Inter predicted XI (3-5-2): Josep Martínez; Yann Bisseck, Manuel Akanji, Carlos Augusto; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolò Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Piotr Zieliński, Federico Dimarco; Marcus Thuram, Ange-Yoan Bonny.

Both sides have plenty to play for, but Feyenoord will be hoping their home advantage can help them exploit an Inter defence weakened by injuries and suspension.