Maybe Inter can take Serie A and the Italian Cup, but it’s hard for me to imagine what kind of draw should be in the playoffs for Inter to reach the Champions League final again. Maybe this year the line-up of contenders is a little weaker than last year (there are no Liverpool and Chelsea), but it’s hard to believe that Inter will be as lucky as last year, and with any strong opponent from the big three, Inter will be an underdog. Even now in the lightweight group they are in second place and all their victories are with a minimum score.
Inter's performance in the Italian Serie A and the Champion League could be a pointer that they still have better quality than last season. They are still tough teams in the UCL but I think Inter has what it takes to still go to the finals. Their journey to the finals last season cannot be seen as just luck but they put in some good effort. Real Sociedad, FC Red Bull Salzburg and S.L. Benfica are not weak teams. Salzburg is topping the Austrian Bundesliga, while Benfica is number one in the Liga Portugal, so Inter should be commended for surviving in Group D. ~
0-3 after the first 45 minutes against Benfica (which scored exactly zero points before this game) and it looks like first place will go to Sociedad, and Inter risks getting to the top team right away in the 1/8. Despite local successes, Inter is still far from the European top clubs, and although theoretically they can win the Champions League, the likelihood of this is very small.