The Battle of the Champions is a football match between Inter Milan vs FC Porto Timeline. The first meeting was played in 1994/95, with Inter winning 3-1 on aggregate. Since then, the two teams have met four more times, with FC Porto winning once (in 1998/99) and Inter twice (2000/01 and 2004/05).
The final of this rivalry takes place at San Siro stadium in Milan on May 13th 2023
Inter Milan vs FC Porto Timeline
The first meeting between these two teams was in March 2023, when Inter Milan traveled to Portugal for a friendly match against FC Porto. It was a close contest that went down to the wire before Inter came away with a 1-0 victory thanks to an early goal from Stevan Jovetic.
The second round of this rivalry took place in May of 2024 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium which saw both sides score early goals but it was Rafa Benitez’s men who prevailed 3-2 after extra time; once again, it was an uninspiring performance by Inter that cost them dearly as they struggled on defense and conceded too many goals (four) despite playing well up front.
The third and final round of this rivalry took place in October 2024 at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy. It was a highly contested match that saw both teams play their hearts out but it was Inter who prevailed once again thanks to two goals from Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah.
FC Porto played well defensively and frustrated Inter for most of the game but eventually their pressure paid off as the Italian side conceded two own goals in the second half which ultimately led to their downfall.
1994/1995 – The First Meeting
- The first meeting was in 1994, during a friendly tournament held in Italy.
- It was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, which is also where this match-up will be played 2023 (at least).
The Italy vs France match will be played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday, September 7th. The kickoff time is 9:00am ET and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Italy vs France match will be the first of two international friendlies played on that day. The second friendly will feature Scotland vs Japan at 3:00pm ET and will be streamed live on ESPN+. The match between Italy and France will be a rematch of the Euro 2016 final, which was won by Les Bleus 4-2.
1994/1995 – The Second Meeting
The second meeting between Inter Milan and FC Porto ended with a similar result to the first, with Inter winning 3-2 on aggregate. This time around, though, they won the European Cup (and its spot in the Champions League), Super Cup (which was held at that time) and Club World Cup.
This is how the game went: The first half was not very exciting. Porto had a few chances, but Inter were more dangerous. In the 32nd minute, Roberto Mancini put Inter ahead with a header from close range after a corner kick by Giacinto Facchetti.
The goal was a big boost for Inter, and they played with renewed confidence. Just before halftime, Sandro Mazzola scored another goal to put Inter two goals up. Porto started the second half very well and were clearly on top. They scored in the 57th minute when Eusebio beat his marker to head home a cross by Mario Coluna.
1996/1997 – The Third Meeting
The first meeting between Inter Milan vs FC Porto Timeline took place on July 10th, 1996. It was a friendly match, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Italians.
The second time they met was not until August 27th, 1997 when they played each other again in a friendly match with both teams winning 2-0 respectively. Both times Inter defeated Porto with goals from Maurizio Zamparini (a former player for Inter) and Javier Zanetti (another ex-Inter player).
The next time they met was not until April 15th, 1999 when they played each other again in another friendly match. This time it ended in a 1-1 draw. It was the first ever competitive match between these two sides and it took place on September 13th, 1999 in the second qualifying round of the Champions League.
1998/1999 – The Fourth Meeting
The first meeting between Inter Milan and FC Porto was played in the San Siro, which was packed with 40,000 spectators. It was also an emotional game for both teams as it involved two teams who had been rivals for years and were trying to win the Champions League title for a fourth time. A sold out crowd watched as Real Madrid defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on penalties after a 1-1 draw through extra time and 90 minutes. President Clinton attended both games with his wife Hillary because he loved football so much; however, she did not attend this particular match due to her busy schedule!
2000/2001 – The Fifth Meeting
The Fifth Meeting was played in Porto. The game was played on 17 November 2000, at the Estádio do Dragão. It was a first leg and ended in a 2-2 draw for both sides. The second leg would be played on 6 December 2000 with Inter winning 3-0 over Porto to go through 5-4 on aggregate (3 goals scored).
The Sixth Meeting occurred on Wednesday 25th March 2001 when Inter won 2-1 over their arch rivals Sporting Lisbon thanks to two goals from Roberto Carlos who also made an assist for Marco Materazzi’s opener just before half time!
Inter Milan beats FC Porto in the final.
FC Porto went into the final as heavy favorites, but it was Inter who came out on top. In a game where both teams played well and had chances to win it, it was Inter’s goalkeeper that saved them from defeat in extra time.
The Champions League 2023 trophy is now in their possession.
Conclusion
As we can see, Inter Milan vs FC Porto has been an exciting rivalry over the years. The two teams have met four times in the Champions League final and both teams have won one title each (Inter Milan in 2010 and 2011). With both squads having strong lineups with players like Ronaldo and Kaka on their rosters, this match is sure to be entertaining.
