Inter’s blow to Arsenal: Champions League run continues – Thanks to a Penalty from Calhanoglu

Inter’s Champions League run continues to border on perfection. The Milanese, with some suffering, beat Arsenal 1-0 and have 10 points from four games , with six goals scored and none conceded. Arteta’s men, on the other hand, confirmed their difficult moment at San Siro: of the last four games, they have only won one.

Simone Inzaghi confirmed the rumours of the previous day, making rotations in view of the crucial match against Napoli on Sunday and leaving out regular starters such as Bastoni, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Barella and Thuram.

It was a brave decision, but the Nerazzurri were quick to prove their manager right. Dumfries hit the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the box in the second minute , opening the first half marked by great intensity, tough duels but little excitement in the penalty area.

The Milanese were playing better, but they needed help from Merino to open the scoring: after a foul by Calhanoglu and a touch from Taremi, the ball ended up on the Spaniard’s arm. It was a clear penalty that Calhanoglu took and he proved to be infallible: he converted all 19 of the penalties he has been in charge of since he wore the Inter shirt.

Arteta, with an offensive change (Gabriel Jesus came on for Merino) wanted to change the face of his team from the first minute of the restart, and he succeeded. Arsenal dominated the second half (close to 70% possession), came close to equalising with a left-footed curl from Havertz that Sommer cleared out of the top corner and created danger several times from set pieces. Inzaghi had no choice but to bring his heavyweights off the bench (Thuram, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco and Barella came on), but, with them too, in the final stretch the plan was to defend with a five-man defence and call time. It worked out well for him.

• Inter
• 1Summer
• 6from Vrij
• 31Yann Bisseck
• 28Benjamin Pavard
• 36Darmian
• 16Davide Frattesi(61′)
• 20Calhanoglu(70′)
• 7Zielinski(61′)
• 2Denzel Dumfries
• 99Mehdi Taremi(78′)
• 10Lautaro Martinez(61′)
• Dock
• 13Josep Martinez
• 8Arnautovic
• 22Mkhitaryan(61′)
• 17Tajon Buchanan
• 15Acerbi
• 21Kristjan Asllani(70′)
• 12Raffaele Di Gennaro
• 32Dimarco(78′)SC
• 23Barella(61′)
• 9Marcus Thuram(61′)
• 95Alessandro Bastoni

Arsenal

• 22David Raya
• 2William Saliba
• 4Ben White
• 6Gabriel
• 12Jurrien Maduro(81′)
• 5Thomas
• 23Merino(45′)–
• 7Bukayo Saka
• 11Martinelli
• 19Trossard(81′)
• 29Kai Havertz(92′)
• Dock
• 20Jorginho
• 37Nathan Butler-Oyedeji
• 30Sterling
• 49Myles Lewis-Skelly
• 53Ethan Nwaneri(81′)SC
• 61Josh Robinson
• 8Odegaard(92′)SC
• 36Tommy Setford
• 9Gabriel Jesus(45′)
• 17Zinchenko(81′)SC
• 15Jakub Kiwior
• 32Net