It has been eight years since Gilberto embarked on his European football journey, but since the Benfica defender learned that Inter Milan will be their Champions League quarter-final Curiously, Gilberto’s debut in Italian football, under then-manager Portuguese Paulo Sousa, was against a Milan team, namely, rivals Inter Milan. On August 23, 2015, in Florence’s Artemio Franchi stadium, Gilberto made his first start, playing for 90 minutes, and helped Fiorentina win the game, scoring two goals to begin their Serie A campaign. In the sixth round of games, in September, Fiorentina faced Inter Milan – the league leaders, who had won all their previous games. However, it was a humiliating night for Inter; the Viola won 4-1, with Croatian forward Kalinic scoring a hat-trick. Although Gilberto was not a regular starter, he came on in the 75th minute and was present when Fiorentina scored the final goal in the 76th minute. Despite playing fewer games and starting just four times in the first half of the season, totaling seven games, Gilberto was sent on loan to Hellas Verona in January 2016. He played in only five games, but in his second game against Inter Milan, in February, the Brazilian full-back enjoyed his second victory against the league giants. Verona, led by Luigi Del Neri, a coach who had a brief spell in charge of FC Porto in 2004, managed to level 3-3 with Inter Milan, and Gilberto participated in the game as a substitute in the 60th minute. With these memories of his past record against Inter Milan, Gilberto’s experience could be transformed into extra motivation as he prepares to face his Italian opponents in the two Champions League quarter-final games. Having recovered from an injury that forced Alexander Bah off during the classic, Gilberto is expected to feature heavily in the upcoming fixtures. While the Brazilian might not fear Inter Milan, he knows the Italian side is a challenging opponent. Inter Milan has already demonstrated their pedigree in the Champions League this season, finishing at the top of the group stages that also featured Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk. Furthermore, they overcame defending champions Liverpool in the round of 16 with a comprehensive 4-1 aggregate victory. On the other hand, Benfica has never lost a European match against an Italian team in Lisbon, winning eight and drawing six games to date, including a 3-0 victory over Juventus earlier in the competition. They also have a formidable record in the Estádio da Luz, where they have lost only four of their last 47 European matches. As the two teams prepare to face off, they will be aware of the other’s strengths and weaknesses. Inter Milan has an excellent strike-force in Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, who have scored a combined total of 36 goals in Serie A this season. Meanwhile, Benfica is likely to rely on their talismanic forward, Darwin Nunez, who has been a stand-out performer of late. Despite the contrasting styles of play and form of the two sides, it is the performances on the night that will matter. Matches in the Champions League are often decided by the smallest of margins. Consequently, it will come down to who can seize their opportunities when they arise. Overall, the upcoming quarter-final between Inter Milan and Benfica is sure to be a closely contested encounter. While Gilberto will look to draw on his past experience in Italy and help Benfica secure a spot in the semi-finals, Inter Milan will be looking to their star players to help them advance further in the competition. Across two legs, the matches will undoubtedly be fascinating, with every fan and pundit on the edge of their seats.
