He Inter Milan This Wednesday he maintained his undefeated status in the Champions League with a pyrrhic victory (1-0) and taking advantage of the penalty for handball committed by the Spanish Mikel Merinoexcessive condemnation for an Arsenal ineffective in its effort to tear down the Italian wall in San Siro, especially in the final minutes, in which he kept running into the ‘Nerazzurri’ defense to succumb for the first time in Europe this campaign.
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Two of the fittest teams in European football met at the legendary San Siro. They came into the match undefeated, both with a draw and two wins in their pockets. Without having conceded a goal in the first three days. And with the memory of their last official confrontation, back in 2003. A historic 1-5, bitter for Inter and comforting for the ‘Gunners’.
It was an intense duel, with dominance distributed at times and that anyone could have won, but in which Arsenal had more control. The draw, perhaps, would have been the fairest, but Mikel Merino’s carelessness in the first half, an arm too open to defend a lateral center, ended up being enough for the Italians to take their personal ‘vendetta’ and remain undefeated in the Champions League.
Inzaghi’s Inter had a brilliant start to the duel, which rotated and left starters such as Acerbi, Bastoni, Dimarco, Thuram or Barella. In just 3 minutes they besieged Arsenal with two very clear chances. First Dumfries, who hit the crossbar with a right-footed shot from the edge of the area. And just a few seconds later, Calhanoglu tried his luck from a distance and scared Raya with a ball that brushed the post.
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Inter was superior in those first stages, but the next half hour belonged to Arsenal. Merino appeared inside the area with a header that went just wide and in which he received a hit from Sommer what andl YES nor assessed as a penalty. That action encouraged Arteta’s men. More involved in the game, more accurate, controlling at San Siro, especially damaging with set pieces.
One of the characteristics of this Inter is that it resists pressure well. He is prepared to survive the pressure. He did it with skill at Arsenal’s best moment and ended up receiving reward at the end of the first act, in added time, when a bad cross from Calhanoglu found an extension in Taremi that ended up hitting Merino’s outstretched arm. Calhanoglu, who has not missed a penalty in club competitions for 8 years, extended his spectacular streak by deceiving Raya.
The goal accelerated Arsenal into the second half. Arteta’s team pressed, surrounded the area and demanded Sommer. Especially in the last few minutes. Dumfries had to save a poisoned corner kick under the sticks. AND Bisseck hasseemed out of nowhere, lunging with his body to block the point-blank shot from Havertz.
The last minutes were a total siege by the English. Too much lateral center. Inter defended themselves with authority and, with De Vrij y Bisseck imperials from above, avoided the resurgence of Arsenal to remain, with 10 points out of a possible 12, among the top eight of the table, approaching the round of 16 directly. Arsenal, with 7 points, remains twelfth.
1 – Inter Milan: Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bisseck; Dumfries, Frattesi (Barella, m.62), Calhanoglu (Asllani, m.71), Zielinski (Mkhitaryan, m.62), Darmian; Taremi (Dimarco, m.79) and Lautaro Martínez (Thuram, m.62).
0 – Arsenal: David Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber (Zinhenko, m.82); Havertz (Odegaard, m.92), Thomas Partey, Mikel Merino (Gabriel Jesús, m.50); Saka, Trossard (Nwaneri, m.82) y Martinelli.
Goles: 1-0, m.48+: Calhanoglu, from a penalty.
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania). He cautioned Lautaro Martínez (m.15), Barella (m.68), Inzaghi (coach, m.96) by Inter Milan; and Gabriel (m.15), Arteta (coach, m.64), Gabriel Jesus (m.68) on behalf of Arsenal.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the fourth day of the league phase of the renewed Champions League, played at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium (San Siro) in Milan (north). Before beginning, a minute of silence was held for the victims of the dana that devastated mainly the Valencian Community.
