Thuram is Inter's ace for the Salzburg test

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi is enjoying the top spot in the Serie A table following Milan's defeat to Juventus, but he is primarily focused on tonight's UEFA Champions League match against Salzburg.

Beating the Austrians could put his Inter team in a favourable position for qualification to the round of 16, and the Piacenza-born coach doesn't want to miss this opportunity.

"We are in good shape for this match after winning an important, tough game on Saturday. The Champions League group is balanced, and we need to maintain high tension because Salzburg won at Benfica's home, and they are not an easy opponent."

The Austrian champions have been progressing rapidly thanks to the investments and the know-how supplied by the Red Bull conglomerate. Even though they were initially a marketing ploy, the club has raised its sporting credentials in the past five years. Inzaghi wants his players to be ready for a challenge.

"They play good football and have a very aggressive 4-3-1-2 formation, focusing on two physical forwards. We'll need to play like the real Inter. Our concentration must always be at its peak. We're at the top in the Champions League and the league, but it's only been 11 matches. There are many more ahead, and we need to remain highly focused. Anyone can cause us problems."

Inzaghi also praised his French recruit, Marcus Thuram, who took Italy by storm after joining from Borussia Monchengladbach.

"Thuram's qualities are undeniable and known to everyone. Changing leagues and countries, it might have been thought that he would have trouble adapting, but he has done brilliantly. The same goes for his teammates, who have put him in a position to do well. He needs to keep it up because he's doing great things. We're focused on Salzburg, a team that has been winning their league for the past ten years and competing in the Champions League. They've changed their coach but brought in a coach from the Academy who knows the environment well. It won't be easy."

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Group stage - matchday 3

Tuesday

19.45: (1.33) Inter (5.70) Salzburg (10.5)

19.45: (8.00) Galatasaray (4.80) Bayern (1.45)

22.00: (1.40) Man.Utd. (5.00) Copenhagen (9.00)

22.00: (4.00) Union Berlin (3.60) Napoli (2.00)

22.00: (4.70) Sevilla (3.70) Arsenal (1.85)

22.00: (2.20) Benfica (3.45) Sociedad (3.60)

22.00: (2.45) Lens (3.50) PSV (3.00)

22.00: (6.50) Braga (4.50) Real Madrid (1.53)

Wednesday

19.45: (1.90) Feyenoord (3.70) Lazio (4.40)

19.45: (1.18) Barcelona (8.50) Shakhtar (16.0)

22.00: (1.80) PSG (3.70) Milan (5.00)

22.00: (1.80) Newcastle (3.70) Dortmund (5.00)

22.00: (3.90) Celtic (3.60) Atl.Madrid (2.05)

22.00: (15.0) Young Boys (7.25) Man.City (1.22)

22.00: (1.28) RB Leipzig (6.75) Crvena Zvezda (10.5)

22.00: (3.80) Antwerp (3.50) Porto (2.10)

***odds are subject to change