Inzaghi’s Inter are coming off their own scare, surviving a late Venezia equalizer to secure a 1-0 win in Serie A. Both Arsenal and Inter have seven points from their first three European matches this season, though the two teams are in very different places domestically.
Arsenal were without their captain and creative leader, Martin Ødegaard, for the trip to Newcastle. The Norwegian had been sidelined for nearly two months with an ankle injury and had hoped to be fit in time for the game, but Mikel Arteta was once again missing his star midfielder. Ødegaard’s absence hasn't been felt too strongly in recent weeks, but it was evident on Saturday.
The Gunners lacked the necessary spark to break down Newcastle's defense, especially with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli unable to get the better of full-backs Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall. As a result, Arsenal were toothless in attack and have now fallen outside the Premier League's top four, seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
Arsenal are currently on a three-match winless streak in the league, and things have taken a further blow with the news that Sporting Director Edu is set to leave the club. Arteta now faces the challenge of losing one of his closest allies at a time when he needs all the support he can get.
On a more positive note, Arsenal secured a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, moving them to seven points from three games in the 2024-25 tournament. Defensively, they have been solid, having yet to concede a goal in Europe this season.
Inter Milan, too, have been rock-solid at the back under Simone Inzaghi. The Nerazzurri have kept clean sheets in their last two Champions League games, including a goalless draw with Manchester City in their opening match.
They’ve been dominant domestically as well, recently defeating Red Star Belgrade 4-0 and narrowly edging BSC Young Boys 1-0, with Marcus Thuram scoring a dramatic last-minute winner.
However, Inter were nearly caught out on Sunday in their Serie A match against Venezia. Despite Lautaro Martinez's header giving them the lead, Venezia nearly snatched a point with a last-gasp equalizer, only for VAR to rule it out for handball.
Inter are now just one point behind leaders Napoli in Serie A and are on a seven-match unbeaten run, with the only blemish being a 4-4 draw with Juventus in the Derby d'Italia.
For Inter, a win over Arsenal on Wednesday would mean a fourth consecutive Champions League clean sheet, a feat they've never achieved before. But the Italian giants won’t forget their humbling by Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal back in the 2003-04 season, when they were beaten 5-1 in Milan after having won 3-0 at Highbury earlier in the same group stage.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Martin Ødegaard is nearing the end of his recovery from an ankle injury and took part in training on Tuesday before flying to Milan with the team. While there's a good chance he could feature in Wednesday's Champions League clash, Mikel Arteta may choose to ease him back into action, potentially starting him on the bench.
Arsenal will definitely be without several key players for the trip to Milan. Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Kieran Tierney (hamstring), and Riccardo Calafiori (knee) are all sidelined, along with Declan Rice, who has picked up a new injury. However, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhães are both fit after shaking off their respective injury concerns and played against Newcastle over the weekend.
White, who was initially expected to only be available for a cameo role against Newcastle, is now in contention to start on Tuesday. Arteta is likely to abandon the experiment of playing Thomas Partey at right-back, moving the Ghanaian back into midfield — possibly at the expense of Leandro Trossard.
On Inter’s side, they’ve had their own injury scare ahead of the game. Alessandro Bastoni was forced off with cramps in Sunday’s match against Venezia, but it’s believed he should be fine for Wednesday’s match.
The only confirmed absentee for Inter is Brazilian left-back Carlos Augusto, who is out with a hamstring injury and won't return until after the international break. As a result, Matteo Darmian is expected to step in for Federico Dimarco on the left flank.
In midfield, Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be the key playmaker for Inter, having taken control of the midfield since his arrival in a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez. Hakan Çalhanoğlu is also likely to return to the starting lineup, replacing Piotr Zielinski in midfield.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Darmian; Taremi, Martinez
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Havertz, Partey, Merino; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
EXPERT PREDICTION
Inter Milan 0-0 Arsenal
Even if Ødegaard is cleared to play in Milan, it's unlikely he'll start, which means Arsenal could struggle to break down Inter's resolute defense.
Inter themselves had their own issues in attack over the weekend, and with Arsenal's defense largely intact, a goalless draw is definitely within the realm of possibility.
