Last season’s beaten Champions League finalists Internazionale welcome Premier League and European pace-setters Arsenal in what promises to be a captivating group-stage encounter, with Inter currently sitting sixth in the UCL table.

Arsenal’s flawless European campaign

Arsenal arrive in Milan boasting a perfect Champions League record this season, having won all six of their matches while scoring 17 goals and conceding just once. Mikel Arteta’s side therefore travel full of confidence, knowing another victory would take them to a maximum 21 points.

The sides met in the league phase last season, when Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty sealed a narrow 1-0 win for the Nerazzurri. That result extended Inter’s strong record in the fixture, with Arsenal winning just one of their three competitive meetings.

History has not been kind to the Gunners in Italy either. They are winless in their last five matches on Italian soil, failing to score in any of them. Their last victory in the country came back in 2008, when they defeated AC Milan 2-0, while their only win over Inter was a memorable 5-1 triumph during the Invincibles era.

Inter injury concerns

Inter may be without Calhanoglu again, with Denzel Dumfries also expected to miss out. Goalkeeper Raffaele Di Gennaro and defender Tomas Palacios face late fitness tests ahead of kick-off.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will be without Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori. Arteta could consider handing centre-back Cristhian Mosquera a start, with one eye on Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester United.

Form guide and recent setbacks

Although Inter lost their most recent home Champions League match against an English side – a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool – they have otherwise been strong at San Siro. A loss to Atletico Madrid in their previous European outing means they are looking to avoid losing three consecutive Champions League matches for the first time since 2011.

Arsenal, by contrast, are unbeaten in 11 matches across all competitions following their 3-0 win over Club Brugge. However, their momentum stalled slightly last time out with a goalless draw against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.

“We came here to win the game, and we didn’t manage that, so of course there is disappointment,” Arteta said after the match. “We created big chances, but it was difficult to build rhythm.”

Martinelli chasing history

Despite missing an open goal against Forest, Gabriel Martinelli remains Arsenal’s leading scorer in the Champions League this season with five goals. The Brazilian could become the first player from his country to score in six consecutive Champions League matches if he finds the net at San Siro.

Arsenal are unbeaten in six away matches across all competitions and have scored in every Champions League game this season. However, Inter have opened the scoring in each of their last six matches, making the first goal potentially decisive.

While both teams remain unbeaten in this season’s competition when scoring first, an early Arsenal breakthrough would force Inter to commit forward, potentially leaving space for the pace of Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the counter.

Lautaro the main threat

Arsenal’s defence will also have to contend with Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, who has five goals in his last 10 Serie A appearances. Since the start of 2025, the Argentine has scored eight Champions League goals — as many as the rest of the Inter squad combined.

Goals appear likely on Tuesday night. Both teams have scored in every Champions League match this season, and aside from their defeat to Liverpool, Inter have netted at least twice in each European fixture — a feat Arsenal have also matched.

Even a draw would be enough to secure qualification for the Gunners, but with history, form and firepower colliding, all signs point towards a thrilling contest at San Siro.