Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images

A must-win if Inter is to claim Group D?s top spot The culmination of this season?s Champions League group stage is here, and with it arrives a head-to-head face-off for first place in Group D. Inter and Tuesday?s visitors Real Sociedad are tied on 11 points, unbeaten and with qualification to the next round already secured, but the exact order still up for grabs. Anything less than a win for Inter will see Sociedad claim the top spot, but if the Nerazzurri take all three points, that honor will be its own.

Photo by PGI/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Since we last met Sociedad in a 1-1 draw in Spain back in September (you may remember that Simone Inzaghi?s men were heavily outplayed but rescued from defeat by a late Lautaro goal), the Basque side has climbed the La Liga table up to 5th, but 5 points out of the top four. Sociedad?s numbers just about perfectly match its record - 8W-5D-3L with the 5th best attack (26 scored), 6th best defense (18 conceded), and 6th most expected goals. In Europe, however, Sociedad has been on another level entirely, breezing by Benfica and Salzburg to land tied with Inter on points but ahead on goal differential. Mikel Oyarzabal (9 goals, 1 assist), Takefusa Kubo (5g, 3a), and Brais Mendez (5g, 4a) have been particularly effective and Inter?s still somewhat makeshift defense will be put to a much greater test than against Udinese on the weekend. Yann...