Preview: Inter Milan v Arsenal | Pre-Match Report | News

Two teams boasting seven points and no goals conceded from their opening three Champions League matches meet at the San Siro on Wednesday (8pm UK), as we aim to maintain our strong recent record against Italian sides.

Following 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 in the famous Milanese stadium back in 2018 at the expense of AC Milan.

This Inter side is a formidable opponent though. Rejuvenated in recent seasons, they clinched a 20th Serie A championship in April and the 2023 finalists are unbeaten in 10 Champions League home matches. However, a win for Mikel Arteta’s side could prove pivotal as we target a spot in the top eight of the new-look competition.

Inter finding their groove

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

However, Simone Inzaghi’s team have recovered from that setback by winning five of the 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, whom they face this weekend in a huge top-of-the-table clash after our encounter.

In the Champions League, they started the league phase with a goalless draw at Manchester City, before thumping Red Star Belgrade 4-0. However, they needed a stoppage-time strike from this season’s top scorer Marcus Thuram to beat Young Boys out in Switzerland to join us on seven points from their opening three matches.

What the managers say

Arteta: “My blood is pumping – this is the kind of game that 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 to come here and show the team that we are right now and the ambition that we have. These are the games we want to play, that’s for sure.

“[Inzaghi] has some very specific ideas, especially in ball possession, the way he moves the position of certain players to occupy different spaces and this makes it tricky and unpredictable. But to be fair, we face in the Premier League a lot of tactical issues that we have to resolve and hopefully tomorrow we’re going to do that as well.”

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

“It’s likely that they have reasons for revenge, I watched them play against Newcastle, but playing away to them is really tough. It was an interesting match, but we know that we will be facing a side that will want to put on a show.”

Team news

Martin Odegaard returned to training ahead of the game and has travelled with the team to Milan, meaning Arteta will assess him further before deciding on whether he’ll play a part.

However, Declan Rice picked up a knock to his foot during the Newcastle game last weekend and didn’t fly over, while Riccardo Calafiori hasn’t returned to his homeland as he attempts to recover from his knee injury. Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring) remain out of contention.

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

Marco Arnautovic has been struggling with 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 hasn’t featured for a month with a knee problem.

Talking tactics

Adrian Clarke: Inzaghi is an outstanding tactician who likes to set his side up in a 3-5-2. Inter Milan are hardworking 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 an assured defender who likes to carry the ball out from the back, while Inter also have classy wing-backs – Matteo Darmian or Denzel Dumfries on the right, with Federico Dimarco or Carlos Augusto down the left. Whoever starts will push on and supply the bulk of the home side’s width.

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

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

Facts and stats

Inter have lost just two of their last 18 matches in the Champions League (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 games), keeping 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), with the Gunners keeping three clean sheets so far. We last had a run of 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 appearances for the club. That 70% clean sheet percentage is the best of any goalkeeper with 10+ appearances at a club in the competition.

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

Match officials

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 last-16 clash, a campaign that culminated with him handed Europa League final officiating duties. In his 15 games this season, he has shown 49 yellow cards but no reds.

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

Previous meetings

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

But two months later, Thierry Henry put us in front before a deflected Christian Vieri effort pulled the hosts level. After the restart, Freddie Ljungberg edged us back in front before some solo Henry 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 also find out which broadcaster is showing the action live wherever in the world you’re watching.