Inter Milan vs Arsenal – UEFA Champions League – Preview, Team News and Updates

06 Nov 2024 ScoreWaves Staff view

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After tough matchups against Liverpool and Newcastle, Arsenal’s schedule isn’t getting any easier. Up next, they will clash with Italian champions Inter Milan on Wednesday in a crucial Champions League tie. With their Premier League title ambitions taking a bit of a hit, the Gunners will be eager to shift gears and make a statement in Europe by taking down the Nerazzurri.

After a strong start to the 2024/25 season, Arsenal have faltered in recent weeks. A draw against Liverpool was followed by a disappointing defeat to Newcastle United. As a result of this poor run of form, the Gunners have fallen seven points behind in the Premier League title race. But on the continental front, Mikel Arteta’s men have performed as expected. Seven points from their opening three UCL games have put them in a very advantageous position. However, securing a win over Inter Milan – that too at the San Siro – will be a daunting task. Like Arsenal, the Nerazzurri have also accumulated 7 points from three UCL games. So, with both teams eyeing a guaranteed Round of 16 spot, this game promises to be an enthralling watch.

Inter Milan vs Arsenal – Match Preview

Mikel Arteta saw Arsenal’s title hopes take a serious hit with their narrow 1-0 loss to Newcastle. It may be early days, but this Arsenal squad has been missing that creative spark up front. Thankfully, Martin Odegaard’s return to training offers a glimmer of hope just when they need it most. The Norwegian playmaker was spotted back on the training pitch on Tuesday, though he’s not quite at match fitness just yet. So, for the time being, the Gunners would have to deal with the absence of their influential captain a little longer. Up next on the agenda for Mikel Arteta is a tough away trip to San Siro to face Inter Milan.

To make matters even worse for Arsenal, influential sporting director Edu has decided to leave the Gunners with immediate effect. Edu and Arteta had built a solid relationship, which was key in getting Arsenal back to the very top of English football. Now, the Spaniard would have to navigate the rest of the season without his trusted partner. However, Arsenal must quickly switch their focus to the Champions League. Following a drab 0-0 draw against Atalanta in their UCL opener, the Gunners have secured home wins over PSG (2-0) and Shakhtar Donetsk (1-0). Now, a trip to San Siro awaits them, and the Gunners would be keen on preserving their spotless record of not conceding a goal so far in the UCL.

However, the Nerazzurri are no pushovers. Simone Inzaghi has transformed Inter into one of the most consistent teams in the Champions League. Many fans thought that Inter’s run to the UCL final during the 2022/23 season was a fluke. However, Inzaghi and the Nerazzurri have proved their doubters wrong. They started their 2024/25 season with a hard-fought stalemate against Manchester City. Victories against Red Star Belgrade (4-0) and Young Boys (1-0) followed their impressive opening night draw against City. As a result, Inter currently occupy the 7th spot in UCL standings. And like Arsenal, they are yet to concede a goal in this season’s UCL. If Inter manage to keep Arsenal at bay on Wednesday, they will secure a fourth consecutive clean sheet in the Champions League/European Cup for the first time in their history. Having said that, the last time these two clubs met, the Gunners ripped Inter to shreds, as they secured a 5-1 win at San Siro during the 2003/04 season.

Inter Milan vs Arsenal – Team News and Updates

Inter faced a defensive scare during their clash with Venezia when Alessandro Bastoni had to leave the pitch with around 20 minutes left, though it appears he was only dealing with cramps and should be ready for Wednesday. As it stands, Carlos Augusto remains Inter’s sole absentee for this midweek clash, as the Brazilian left-back is sidelined with a hamstring injury until after the international break. Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian is expected to take over from Federico Dimarco on that flank. Henrikh Mkhitaryan will command the midfield, likely with Hakan Calhanoglu stepping in for Piotr Zielinski.

On Arsenal’s end, Odegaard is now in the final stages of recovery from an ankle injury, having trained Tuesday and traveled with the squad to Milan, though Arteta may opt to keep him on the bench for now. The Gunners are without a few key players for the Milan trip, including Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Kieran Tierney (hamstring), Riccardo Calafiori (knee), and now Declan Rice with a fresh setback. However, both Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes have overcome minor concerns to make it onto the roster. White, who featured briefly over the weekend, could be in line to start as Arteta repositions Thomas Partey back into midfield, possibly at the expense of Leandro Trossard.