Inter – Arsenal

Arsenal will take revenge on their opponent for last year's defeat.

The Champions League returns to European football. The first round after the winter break will take place on January 20–21 and will traditionally consist of eighteen matches. The centerpiece of the seventh matchday of the group stage is planned for Milan. As in the previous Champions League season, Inter and Arsenal are in the top eight of the standings, contending for automatic qualification to the Round of 16, bypassing the playoff round. Last year the clubs finished in third and fourth place in the standings, conceding the fewest goals among the participants of the continent's elite tournament. Interestingly, the Milan club last season was the only one to defeat Arsenal in the group stage. Then the opponents also met in Italy, and the match's fate was decided by a Calhanoglu penalty, which the Turk converted in the 45+3rd minute. That strike was the sole shot from Inter players in the entire match, but it proved enough for the victory. Undoubtedly, Arsenal will arrive for this match after thoroughly analyzing the described meeting. Bookmakers couldn't decide on a favorite for the upcoming showdown, offering the two sides identical odds. Inter has lately been in good form. This is evidenced by the team's first place in Serie A with a three-point lead over Milan, and a fairly solid run in the national championship. The thing is that truly important matches lately have brought nothing good to Kristian Kivu's charges. In the last two months Inter lost in the Champions League to Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, in a penalty shootout handed Bologna the Italian Super Cup, and in the league could not maintain the lead over Napoli (2:2) and lost the Milan derby. Essentially, there haven't been other serious tests for Inter during this period. Arsenal, on the other hand, is a more than serious test. The London club under Mikel Arteta's guidance has progressed year after year and has now matured into the most obvious candidate to win the Champions League. Let's bet that the English side will take revenge for last year's defeat.