Inter-Arsenal, probable formations and where to watch it: Inzaghi with Calhanoglu

Milan, 5 November 2024 – Direct clash between Inter e Arsenal in the Champions League. The two teams are tied at 7 points in the standings, two wins and a draw, the Gunners in Bergamo with Atalanta, the Nerazzurri in Manchester with City, and given the pace that several teams are keeping, there is a risk of being left out of the top eight. A defeat could complicate the path towards the eighth finals quite a bit, so it will be an important and almost decisive challenge and the fact of playing it at home for Inter It's a small advantage. A spectacular match between two strong teams, fighting for trophies both in the league and in Europe. Arsenal However, it comes from a less than exciting period, in fact it lost in the championship with Bournemouth and Newcastle, drew in Liverpool and in the Premier League it is already seven points away from the top. In the Champions League things are going better, but the victory with the Shakhtar it only came in a narrow one-nil win. Inter, on the other hand, continues to show some defensive shortcomings, but has redeemed the four-four well with the Juve winning clearly at Empoli and finding a difficult success on the Venice, wasting a lot and with a goal disallowed for Sverko in the 97th minute. Certainly, against a talented team like Arsenal, a better defensive performance will be needed.

Probable lineups

There should be no chance of a large turnover for Inzaghi, despite his tour de force with the recent midweek round of Serie A. Pavard, de Vrij and Bastoni The three defenders in front of Sommer should be, Dumfries and Dimarco the fifth midfielders, in the middle should return Calhanoglu central pin with Frattesi and Mkhitaryan on the sides. Forward possible should have a chance Taremi paired with Thuram, with Lautaro starting from the bench alongside Barella. Arsenal 4-2-3-1 with Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel and Zinchenko in defence, Rice and Merino the two midfielders, while Saka, Trossard and Martinelli up front support Havertz.

Inter (3-5-2) - Sommer; Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro, Thuram. Coach Inzaghi.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1) - Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Merino; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli; Havertz. Coach Arteta

Previous

There are only two previous official matches between the two teams and they date back to Group B of the 2003/2004 Champions League. On 17 September 2003, the Nerazzurri conquered London with a sumptuous 0-3 scored by Cruz, Van der Meyde and Martins in the space of 41 minutes, but in the return leg there was a great reaction from the Gunners with a pokerissimo at San Siro. It was Cuper's Inter, clearly defeated by Wenger's Arsenal by 1-5 with two goals and two assists from Thierry Henry, supported by the markings of Ljungberg Gaspar and PiresThe Nerazzurri were then eliminated from the competition, finishing in third place in the group with 8 points equal to Lokomotiv Moscow (the Russians won 3-0 in the first leg and drew 1-1 in the return leg) and two points behind Arsenal. The draw in Kiev on the last day was decisive.

Inzaghi's statements

A match of great importance for Inter which will calibrate its European strength in the face of Arsenal, theoretically one of the candidates for a possible final victory. Inzaghi calls for maximum concentration: "We have two big games ahead of us and we'll think about one commitment at a time - his words - We've spent a lot in the last matches but there's still work to do before the break. The last one with Venezia? I complimented the team, they were all very good. The only flaw is not having closed it out against a team that ran a lot and believed in it until the end". It will be a complicated challenge against a team that has been competing for the title with Manchester City in England for years: "It's one of the best teams in Europe and is coached by a great coach like Arts. They are aggressive and dynamic, they have a very clear identity and it is no coincidence that in the last two seasons they have come close to winning the title". Battle to get the ball, given that the Arsenal he wants it and Inter does not intend to play ninety minutes of all-out defense: "We will have to try to keep the ball as much as possible, but it will not be easy. We will need personality and precision", Simone's request. Arsenal, however, are coming off an up-and-down phase of the season and in the last Premier League match they were defeated by Newcastle: “They will certainly want to react after a defeat, but it is not easy to play in Newcastle. They had chances and conceded them, it was a good match. Now they will want to play a great match at San Siro”. Two big matches in a row for the Nerazzurri, first against Arsenal and then on Sunday against Napoli, but Inzaghi can't think about the Neapolitans today: "Coaches have to make daily choices and Napoli is not in my thoughts - his answer - I have to make some evaluations and if someone is well they play regardless of Sunday. We will analyze the data and decide. Arsenal is our priority". On the formation, from the indications, Thuram should still be the owner, while Lautaro he could start from the bench but also arnautovic he is not at his best. Space for Taremi? “Thuram has recovered well – Simone's analysis – I still have to choose the formation, because Arnautovic has an eye infection that is struggling to clear up, he is training better but we will evaluate in the next few hours. Taremi is a little fresher and Correa is also working well. I will choose the best possible formation”.

Where to see it on TV

The match between Inter and Arsenal is played Wednesday 6 November at 21 pm at the Meazza stadium in San Siro, Milan. The live television broadcast will be exclusively entrusted to Amazon Prime Video with commentary by Sandro Piccinini and Massimo Ambrosini.