Inter boss Chivu admits Gunners are title favourites, but is confident his team can produce an upset by playing positive, risk-taking football
Inter players are put through their paces during a training session on Monday. Pic/Getty Images
Inter Milan manager Cristian Chivu accepted Arsenal as one of the favourites to win the UEFA Champions League (UCL), but insisted that his side are capable of slaying the high-flying Gunners when the two sides face off on Tuesday.
“For me, Arsenal and Bayern are the strongest teams in Europe right now. [But] that doesn’t mean we’re starting defeated. We’ll try to play our game and do our best in understanding what the opponent gives us and makes us endure. And I repeat, we’ll be the best version of what we are,” said Chivu.
Cristian Chivu
The Nerazzuri can take confidence from the fact that they beat Mikel Arteta’s side 1-0 in the UCL group stage last season en-route to reaching the final, where they succumbed 0-5 to PSG.
Inter currently sit in sixth place, with four wins and two losses, while Arsenal top the table with a perfect record in six games.
Elaborating on the style of football the Inter faithful are likely to witness in Tuesday’s clash, Chivu said, “We’ll have a positive attitude, a willingness to win the ball, and to take risks. We have players capable of maintaining that level of focus.” The Italian giants will be without midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and right-back Denzel Dumfries. They will rely on skipper Lautaro Martinez to lead the attack while veteran goalkeeper Yann Sommer will be expected to marshal the defence in order to limit Arsenal’s threat from set-pieces.
18
No. of years since Arsenal’s last win in Italy
08
No. of UCL goals scored by Inter’s Lautaro Martinez in home games since 2025; the joint-most among all clubs in this period
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