Inter Milan vs Arsenal Preview, Lineups & Prediction | Champions League Matchday 7
Champions League Matchday 7 features a marquee showdown at the San Siro as fifth-place Inter Milan host first-place Arsenal, with both sides aiming to secure a top-eight finish and automatic qualification for the Round of 16.
This preview covers predicted lineups, injury news, head-to-head history, betting odds and a score prediction for Tuesday's Inter Milan v Arsenal match.
Inter Milan sit level on 12 points with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, but occupy sixth place in the standings on goal difference.
Arsenal enter unbeaten through six Champions League matches, having conceded just once, and hold a three-point lead over second-place Bayern Munich at the top of the table.
Inter Milan vs. Arsenal Head-to-Head Record
Inter Milan and Arsenal have met just three previous occasions dating back to 2003 when Inter Milan defeated Arsenal 3-0 in a group stage match.
Most recently, Inter topped Arsenal 1-0 in a 2024 Champions League - League Phase matchup.
Fixture Trivia
Matchday 7 Trivia: Which Inter Milan player converted a penalty to score the lone goal in Inter's 1-0 defeat of Arsenal in 2024?
Matchday 6 Trivia: Which player scored an own-goal to decide the 2016 Champions League semifinal between Real Madrid and Manchester City?
(Answer to Matchday 7 trivia question revealed in Matchday 8's preview article)
Betting Odds and Predictions for Inter Milan vs. Arsenal Match
UEFA Champions League Odds Comparisons
Moneyline Odds
DraftKings: INT +180 Draw +240, ARS +150
FanDuel: INT +190 Draw +220, ARS +155
BetMGM: INT +180 Draw +240, ARS +145
Bet365: INT +187 Draw +230, ARS +150
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RECENT FORM
Inter Milan (WWDWW) have conceded just three goals over their last five matches. I Nerazzurri sandwiched a 2-2 draw with Napoli between victories over Bologna, Parma, Lecce and Udinese.
Arsenal (DWWDW) have played to successive scoreless draws in their last two league matchups, following a 3-2 win over Bournemouth. In addition to their Premier League exploits, the Gunners have advanced to the 4th Round of the FA Cup and secured a 3-2 victory over Chelsea in the 1st Leg of the EFL Cup Semifinal.
FORMATIONS
Inter Milan are likely to deploy a 3-5-2 under head coach Cristian Chivu. The system is predicated upon the wingbacks providing width to the attack as they both attack and defend in the wide channels. When Arsenal enjoy long spells of possession, look Inter for to adapt into a defensive-minded 5-3-2 shape.
Arsenal have worked to perfect their high-possession system, predicated upon size and strength at center-forward and in the midfield. Expect manager Mikel Arteta to use a base 4-2-3-1 formation, giving his team the ability to control the ball and push forward in front of goalkeeper David Raya.
LINEUP NOTES & INJURY NEWS
Champions League Predicted & Confirmed Lineups
Inter Milan Injury & Lineup News
Inter Milan will be forced to contend with absences in the defensive and midfield ranks as they seek to gain the upper hand on Arsenal.
Defensively, Tomas Palacios (thigh) remains unavailable after suffering a reaggravation of the injury in late May. Denzel Dumfries (ankle) is set to miss another 1-2 months after undergoing surgery in mid-December. Across the backline, look for Manuel Akanji and Alessandro Bastoni to take up their familiar roles in the back-three alongside either Yann Aurel Bisseck or Francesco Acerbi. Expect Luis Henrique to continue to assume the right-sided wingback role in Dumfries' absence.
Midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu (calf) is set to miss his third successive league match after an ankle injury forced him off during Inter's 2-2 draw versus Napoli. In Calhanoglu's absence, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has assumed the majority of minutes in the holding-midfield role beside stalwarts Nicolo Barella and Piotr Zielinski.
Arsenal Injury & Lineup News
The Gunners enter the fixture at near full health as they make their second-half title charge.
Arteta's main focus prior to submitting his starting XI will be on his backline. Piero Hincapie (thigh) has missed two matches after being forced off early in Arsenal's 0-0 draw versus Liverpool. He was a game-time-decision, and ultimately left out of the squad, for Arsenal's 0-0 draw versus Nottingham Forest.
Riccardo Calafiori (strain) is expected to miss his seventh successive fixture after suffering an injury in the warmups ahead of Arsenal's victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. If the versatile duo of Hincapie and Calafiori is once again unfit for duty, look for Myles Lewis-Skelly to assume the left full-back role for Arteta.
KEY MATCHUPS
Inter Strike Force versus Arsenal Central Defenders
Arsenal boast one of the top center-back pairings in world football with William Saliba and Gabriel. The duo have led the Gunners to the top defensive record in both the Premier League and Champions League. However, Saliba and Gabriel rarely encounter a strike partnership with which they'll have to battle.
Conversely, the potent duo of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram have combined for six goals and one assist in Champions League play. Domestically, each have scored twice and assisted once across their last five Serie A appearances.
Arsenal's ability to cope with extra attackers in and around the box will have a considerable impact as to whether the Italian attacking unit breaches the formidable English defense.
Bukayo Saka versus Federico Dimarco
A scintillating duel between one of the world's top wingers and one of the world's premier full-backs will be on display Tuesday as Saka runs the wide channel with Dimarco. Saka has notched two goals and one assist across five Champions League appearances (three starts). Contrarily, Dimarco has produced 11 clearances and eight interceptions across his six Champions League appearances (five starts).
Expect a game of cat-and-mouse to take shape as Chivu looks to push the Inter wide-defenders into the attack and Arteta aims to exploit the space left in behind with the pace and agility of Saka.
MAN OF THE MATCH
David Raya is enjoying a superb run of form in the Champions League that has seen the veteran keeper concede just one goal across six starting appearances while recording five clean sheets. If Arsenal are to retain their place atop the Champions League table and waltz into the Round of 16, it will be in large part due to the performances of Raya.
With the Gunners facing a unique attacking unit, expect Inter to move the ball quickly enough to produce multiple shots on goal as the maneuver the Arsenal backline in search of shooting lanes. As those shots make their way to the goalmouth, I back Raya to continue his excellent Champions League form and earn his sixth clean sheet Tuesday.
PREDICTED RESULT
Inter Milan 0 - Arsenal 1
UPCOMING FIXTURES
Inter Milan: Jan. 28 at Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal: Jan. 28 vs Kairat Almaty
