Preview: Inter Milan v Arsenal | Pre-match report | News

On November 7, 2024By Littum

Two teams who boast seven points and no goals conceded from their opening three Champions League games meet at the San Siro on Wednesday (20:00 UK) as we aim to maintain our strong recent record against Italian sides.

After September’s trip to Atalanta, we are unbeaten in each of our last five such games and three on our travels, which includes a win at the famous Milanese stadium back in 2018 at the expense of AC Milan.

However, this Inter side is a formidable opponent. Rejuvenated in recent seasons, they won a 20th Serie A title in April and the 2023 finalists are unbeaten in 10 Champions League home games. However, a win for Mikel Arteta’s side could prove decisive as we aim for a place in the top eight of the new-look competition.

Inter find their way

After running away with the league last term and finishing 17 points clear, Inter’s season began sluggishly as they won just two of their first five league games, including a 2-1 loss to neighbors AC Milan – their first defeat of derby day in the last. six meetings.

However, Simone Inzaghi’s side have recovered from that setback by winning five of their last six in Italy’s top flight, as well as sharing a 4-4 draw with Juventus. A 1-0 win over Venezia on Sunday saw them move to within a point of league leaders Napoli, who they face this weekend in a huge top-of-the-table clash after our meeting.

In the Champions League, they started the league stage with a goalless draw against Manchester City before hammering Red Star Belgrade 4-0. But they needed a break from this season’s top scorer Marcus Thuram to see off the Young Boys in Switzerland to join us on seven points from their opening three games.

What the leaders say

Arteta: “My blood is pumping – this is the kind of game we want to play. To come to Milan to play Inter, two years ago they were in the final of the Champions League, they won the Scudetto last year, so they came here and Show the team that we are right now and the ambition we have, these are the games we want to play.

“(Inzaghi) has some very specific ideas, especially in possession, the way he moves the position of certain players to occupy different spaces and this makes it difficult and unpredictable. But to be fair we face a lot in the Premier League in Premier League. tactical problems that we have to solve and hopefully tomorrow we will too.”

Every word from Arteta’s pre-Inter presser

Inzaghi: “Arsenal are very well known, with a great coach like Arteta and a clear identity, aggressive and dynamic. They have gone toe to toe with Manchester City in the last two seasons, they are one of the strongest teams in Europe.

“It is likely that they have reasons for revenge, I saw them play against Newcastle, but playing away from home against them is really tough. It was an interesting game, but we know that we will face a team , who wants a show.”

Keep news

Martin Odegaard returned to training ahead of the game and has traveled with the squad to Milan, meaning Arteta will assess him more closely before deciding whether he wants to play a role.

However, Declan Rice picked up a knock on his foot during the Newcastle game last weekend and did not fly over, while Riccardo Calafiori has not returned to his homeland as he tries to recover from a knee injury. Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) remain out.

Bastoni came off in the 70th minute of the win over Venezia but it was reported that it was just cramp and should be back in the game, but Carlos Augusto has missed the last three league games with a muscle problem.

Marco Arnautovic has been battling an eye infection but could return, as could Canadian wing-back Tajon Buchanan, who is back in training after recovering from a broken leg. However, Kristjan Asllani has not appeared for a month with a knee problem.

Speech tactics

Adrian Clarke: Inzaghi is an excellent tactician who likes to set his side up in a 3-5-2. Inter Milan are hard-working and robust without the ball, while in possession they rotate positions with great intelligence to help them pass through the thirds.

Left-sided centre-back Alessandro Bastoni is a confident defender who likes to carry the ball out from the back, while Inter also have classic wing-backs – Matteo Darmian or Denzel Dumfries on the right, with Federico Dimarco or Carlos Augusto down the left. . Whoever starts will press on and provide the bulk of the home side’s width.

In attack, Thuram and Lautaro Martinez have already dispatched 14 goals this term thanks to some smart movement and crisp finishing. But Inzaghi’s rotation policy has seen Iranian veteran Mehdi Taremi start all three European games ahead of Martinez.

Another person to watch out for is Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. He drops deep to dictate plays from a single pivot position. His passing is top class and if we keep a high line, the 30-year-old has the ability to cut dangerous long passes in behind our back four.

Facts and statistics

Inter have lost just two of their last 18 Champions League games (W10 D6), with those defeats coming against Man City in the 2023 final and Atletico Madrid in last season’s last 16 second leg.

Across the last three seasons, Inter have kept more clean sheets than any other side in the competition (15 in 24 matches) and kept shutouts in five of their last six matches.

We have won six of our nine group games since returning to the Champions League last season (D2 L1).

Only five teams have faced more shots in the Champions League this season than Inter (53), but they have kept three clean sheets. They have never kept four in a row in their European Cup history.

Only Atalanta (4) have faced fewer shots on target in the Champions League than us (5), and the Gunners have so far kept three clean sheets. We last had four consecutive clean sheets in November 2007.

At 30 years and 139 days, Inter have the oldest average starting XI in the Champions League this season. They have also given the most minutes to players aged 30+.

Since the start of 2022/23, no defender has more assists in the Champions League than Inter’s Federico Dimarco (6).

Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer has kept seven clean sheets in 10 Champions League games for the club. This 70% clean sheet percentage is the best of any goalkeeper with 10+ appearances for one club in the competition.

Across the first three matchdays, the two players doing the most high-intensity pressing were Inter’s Mehdi Taremi and Kai Havertz (211 each). Havertz has also made the most specific in the final third (92).

The referees of the match

Istvan Kovacs will be the man in the middle at the San Siro, whose only previous Arsenal appointment came almost exactly a year ago when he oversaw our 2-0 home success against Sevilla.

The Romanian referee also took charge of Inter last season as they beat Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their round of 16 tie, a campaign which culminated in him reaching the Europa League final. In his 15 games this season, he has shown 49 yellow cards but no reds.

Judge: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
Assistants: Mihai Marica, Ferencz Tunyogi (ROU)
Fourth official: Horatiu Fesnic (ROU)
WAS: Christian Dingert (GER)
Assistant VAR: Catalin Popa (ROU)

Previous meetings

It will be the first time we have faced the Nerazzurri since one of our best ever European nights when we won 5-1 at the San Siro in the 2003/04 group stage, avenging a 3-0 loss at Highbury in the first . – ever meeting between the sides in September 2003.

But two months later, Thierry Henry put us in front before a deflected Christian Vieri effort brought the hosts level. After the restart Freddie Ljungberg put us back in front before some Henry solo magic made it 3-1 and late strikes from Edu and Robert Pires sealed a historic victory.

Live coverage

Live commentary of the game will be provided on Arsenal.com and the official app – simply tune in five minutes before kick-off and listen to Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke take you through all the action at the San Siro.

You can find that out too which television company is showing the action live no matter where in the world you look.