Champions League: Italian Champs Host English Contenders

Inter Milan vs Arsenal

My word, Arsenal could have done without this Champions League tie right now.

I said a week ago that the Gunners needed to somehow emerge from this period before the international break unscathed by managing to keep in touch at the top domestically, all the while riding through a wave of injuries to key men.

That simply hasn’t happened and, after starting the season undefeated, they have now taken just one point from their last three Premier League games to fall seven points off the pace.

As they try and regroup ahead, one of the last things they would have wanted was a trip to the San Siro to face the Italian champions.

 

Talking Points

A second defeat in three occurred on Tyneside on Saturday lunchtime when Mikel Arteta’s men registered just one effort on target in their 1-0 reverse.

The absence of captain Martin Odegaard is key and a lack of fluidity and vision was evident against Newcastle as Arteta’s team – unbeaten until a 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth a fortnight ago – lost further ground on their title rivals.

With another big-league game against Chelsea to come this weekend, Arsenal will certainly want to travel back from Italy without any further injuries, even if the recent return of Gabriel (who only missed half a league game after initial fears were eased), Jurrien Timber, and Bukayo Saka have been a timely boost.

After a thrilling Derby d’Italia just over a week ago, Inter have secured back-to-back domestic victories and closed the gap on leaders Napoli at the top of Serie A to just one point.

Their victory over the weekend was hard fought but they saw off newly promoted Venezia when Lautaro Martinez claimed the only goal of the game with a diving header, converting a Federico Dimarco left-wing cross.

They also survived late drama as a last gasp Venezia equaliser was ruled out for handball following a lengthy VAR check.

With both Inter and Arsenal having secured two wins and a draw from their first matches in Europe so far, they are handily placed to qualify for the last 16.

Victory for either on Wednesday will make that job more straightforward.

 

History

Arsenal and Inter may have been regulars at the top table of European football since the turn of the millennium, but the two sides have only been pitted against each other twice before, both clashes coming in the 2003-04 group stage.

Highbury was the venue for their inaugural meeting in September 2003 as a Gunners side boasting Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and Robert Pires hosted an Inter outfit with Fabio Cannavaro, Javier Zanetti, and Marco Materazzi in their starting XI.

Almost all of Arsene Wenger’s team that day would go onto play a key role in their unbeaten league season, but they were humbled by their Nerazzurri counterparts on that occasion, losing 3-0 as Julio Cruz, Andy van der Meyde, and Obafemi Martins were on target. The latter would memorably haunt Arsenal again for Birmingham City in the 2011 League Cup final.

Revenge was served clinically in the San Siro a couple of months later when Arsenal ran riot.

Despite Christian Vieri cancelling out Henry’s opener, the scintillating Frenchman would go on to bag a brace after Freddie Ljungberg had restored Arsenal’s lead, before Pires and Edu (who has just left the club as sporting director) also struck late on in a breathtaking 5-1 victory – at the time their biggest win in this competition

That ruthless demolition allowed them to progress to the knockout phase, where they were eliminated by Chelsea in the quarter-finals, while Inter transferred to the UEFA Cup and lost at the same stage to Marseille.

 

Betting Tip

Inter are slight favourites with the SBOTOP Champions League 2024 betting odds, but there’s not too much in it.

You can back the hosts 1X2 @ 2.44 or the North Londoners @ 2.71. With Asian Handicap odds, a home win -0.25 will pay out @ 2.29 with Arsenal -0.25 on offer @ 2.40.

For goals and Champions League 2024 highlights, then there are options aplenty which include Total Goal 0-1 @ 2.71, 2-3 @ 1.97, 4-6 @ 3.88, and Over 2.50 @ 2.21.

I have looked closely at many of the bets, and quite few have tempted me, but I am going to go for an attractive, yet some would argue conservative, tip of honours even.

My tip here is a draw, a result which will probably suit both teams.

   

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