Inter Milan are set to host Arsenal in a big Champions League encounter at the San Siro, and both sides are eager to win.
Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi will look to bring consistency to their season ahead of a crucial fixture with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. The Italian champions have had a good run since their loss to AC Milan in the derby, winning seven of their eight fixtures in all competitions.
The Nerazzurri survived by the skin of their teeth over the weekend as relegation-threatened Venezia came close to stealing a point, only for VAR to intervene and rule out their equaliser. A Lautaro Martinez opener proved enough to collect all three points, followed by an emphatic victory over Empoli last week.
Inter Milan have shown mixed form in the Champions League, although that includes an impressive goalless draw away to Manchester City. Inzaghi’s side then managed to crush Crvena Zvezda and a slender 1-0 win over Young Boys away from home. The visit from Arsenal offers a particularly huge test for Inter Milan, as they will be wary of not providing a wounded Gunners side and take this game in all seriousness.
Mikel Arteta will want his Arsenal side to respond well after a challenging few games in the Premier League and Champions League. Domestically, the Gunners have dropped eight points out of a possible nine in their last three Premier League fixtures, with the latest hiccup coming in the slender loss to Newcastle United on Saturday.
An Alexander Isak strike in the first half proved enough as Arsenal lacked the edge in the attacking third to trouble the Magpies in any way. Their most recent Champions League win came against Shakhtar Donetsk, although Arteta’s side made it for a nervy ending and had to rely on an earlier own goal to take all three points.
Several questions are being asked of the Gunners this season, in all competitions, but specifically in the Premier League. They have also shown a bit of complacency in their most recent European game, and Arteta will target a massive upturn in form. However, the fixtures do not come easy for the Gunners, as they face two tough away games in Inter Milan and then Chelsea at the weekend.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi is blessed with a fully fit squad, barring probably Carlos Augusto, who remains sidelined for Inter Milan ahead of the visit of Arsenal. The Nerazzurri did have a big scare against Venezia when Alessandro Bastoni was taken off with 20 minutes to go. However, it was later believed to be just cramps for the key defender.
Hence, the centre-back should be in line for a start against Arsenal in the back three, consisting of Benjamin Pavard and Stefan de Vrij. Denzel Dumfries could be preferred to Matteo Darmian for his attacking prowess to trouble the Arsenal left side, while Hakan Calhanogu should return, replacing Piotr Zielinski.
Meanwhile, this game could be a reunion for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who spent a brief period at Arsenal before joining Inter Milan, as he currently is a crucial player at San Siro. There are still doubts about whether Inzaghi would prefer to go with a full, strong lineup against the Gunners, given the many fixtures they have played in the build-up to this clash and the ones after this.
He might not use his two best strikers as Inzaghi has sights on the weekend when they take on Napoli, meaning Mehdi Taremi might partner Lautaro Martinez in the front line.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Taremi, Martinez
Arsenal
The Gunners were boosted by Martin Odegaard’s return to full training, but there are doubts whether Mikel Arteta might risk his skipper from the start. The Arsenal boss could prioritise a not-lose policy on their second visit to Italy in the Champions League this season, meaning he might start without the Norwegian against Inter Milan.
Riccardo Calafiori remains sidelined with a knee injury, while Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are other regular absentees. The pair are not expected to return anytime soon. Declan Rice has not travelled with the squad for this clash, although this could be load management on Arsenal’s part.
Hence, Mikel Merino could be starting this one alongside Thomas Partey, with the latter creating the right-back slot for Ben White to play there. Jorginho could be an option for such a game, and he is someone Arteta trusts, so the midfielder could be an interesting choice for Arteta.
Jurrien Timber is expected to start on the other flank, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will resume their partnership at the heart of the defence. Kai Havertz will partner again with Leandro Trossard, as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will provide the width for Arsenal against Inter Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Saka, Partey, Rice, Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz
Key Stats
- Inter Milan are unbeaten in their last eight games in all competitions. The Nerazzurri have won seven of their last eight outings.
- Inter Milan and Arsenal are unbeaten in the UEFA Champions League this season.
- Arsenal have failed to score in their last four away UEFA Champions League games in Italy (D1 L3), with Emmanuel Adebayor the last Gunners player to score there in a 2-0 win over Milan in March 2008.
- This season, Arsenal and Inter Milan have yet to concede in the Champions League.
- Yann Sommer has kept seven clean sheets in 10 UEFA Champions League appearances for Inter Milan. That 70% clean sheet percentage is the best of any goalkeeper with 10+ appearances at a club in the competition.
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s big star has things to prove on the big stage, as San Siro represents, and he will need to put in top-class performances to answer some doubts thrown at his team of late. Saka has a big night ahead of him, and the Arsenal academy graduate will bring his A-game against Inter Milan.
Saka has had a good season so far and proved his worth in recent games. However, he was left short in the loss to Newcastle United. With some huge fixtures ahead, Arteta will want his main man in the attack in top form and would not mind if he puts in a top display against Inter Milan.
Prediction
Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal
This is a clash of two defensively sound sides in the UEFA Champions League, who have yet to concede a single goal in the competition. It could spell the end for one at least on Wednesday night, as Inter Milan are the favourites heading into this fixture.
Arsenal will probably come here with the intention of not losing, and in recent games, a similar approach has failed for them. This could be another such case so far. Although the Gunners could fight, they lost with a slender margin against the Italian champions.
