Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu has decided to start Petar Sucic and Luis Henrique against Arsenal in Matchday 7 of the 2025/2026 Champions League season.
The official lineups for tonight’s Champions League match, which kicks off at 21.00 CET in Milan, have been published.
Inter Milan dropped six points in their last two European matches against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.
Therefore, the Nerazzurri face a must-win contest, with their pursuit of a top-eight finish hanging in the balance.
Furthermore, Cristian Chivu lost star midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu to injury a couple of weeks before Arsenal’s visit to San Siro.
Therefore, the 45-year-old had to change his starting lineup tonight.
Inter Milan vs Arsenal – Petar Sucic Returns To Starting XI
After a promising start to life at San Siro, Petar Sucic has tumbled down the pecking order.
For context, the Croatian midfielder has accumulated just eight minutes across his last three Serie A appearances.
Despite featuring in all six Champions League games this season, the 22-year-old only started against Slavia Prague in September.
However, Chivu has decided to hand the former Dinamo Zagreb his second European start in the Nerazzurri shirt.
Therefore, Sucic slots next to Piotr Zielinski and Nicolo Barella in the middle of the park.
Inter Milan Vs Arsenal – Chivu Trusts Luis Henrique
The main talking point comes on the right flank, where Luis Henrique continues to be Chivu’s go-to option to replace Denzel Dumfries.
Despite Matteo Darmian’s recovery, the Brazilian remains the first choice in Dumfries’ absence. Therefore, Andy Diouf starts on the bench.
Meanwhile, Federico Dimarco starts on the left wing at the expense of Carlos Augusto.
At the back, Chivu leans on youth with Yann Bisseck starting between Alessandro Bastoni and Manuel Akanji. Therefore, Francesco Acerbi stays on the bench.
Furthermore, Sucic returns to the engine room alongside Barella and Zielinski.
Therefore, the Polish midfielder takes Calhanoglu’s role as a deep-lying playmaker.
Finally, Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram lead the line despite the Frenchman’s lackluster form.
Inter Milan vs Arsenal – Official Starting Lineups: Sucic & Henrique Start
INTER (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Barella, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Lautaro (C).
Bench: Martinez, Callgaris, Akanji, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto, Darmian, Cocchi, Mkhitaryan, Frattesi, Diouf, Bonny, Esposito.
Coach: Chivu.
Suspended: none.
Unavailable: Di Gennaro, Palacios, Dumfries, Calhanoglu.
ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly; Eze, Zubimendi, Merino; Saka (C), Gabriel Jesus, Trossard.
Bench: Kepa, Setford, Gabriel, White, Nørgaard, Rice, Ødegaard, Nwaneri, Martinelli, Madueke, Gyökeres, Havertz.
Coach: Arteta.
Suspended: none.
Unavailable: Calafiori, Hincapié, Dowman.
Referee: Pinheiro.
Assistants: Jesus and Maia.
Fourth Official: Goncalves.
VAR: Martins.
Assistant VAR: Del Cerro Grande.
Acerbi,sommer are finished,thuram is horrible…and as a matter of fact whoever buys Henrique should be sent to jail,he’s never what inter wanted him to be…Marotta is becoming a garbage in transfer dealings…
Chivu words is bad after or before the big games the guy is just coward and he transmitters to the players I hope he doesn’t say Dortmund are favourites against us ♂️
I was only able to watch the first 30mins game. I dont want to sounds like it is someone’s fault but the way Thuram played there was really confusing me. Is he still not recovered yet? If not, why he looks so tired from the 1st minute of the game@@? Those slopy passes and shots, crazy lazy moves let him look so tired….. If he is still not recovered, why sent him as a starter??? I’d rather have Pio or Bonny there.
That’s how diva players move and that’s what Thuram has become. Very lazy.
This loss was expected before the game started but the way we lost hurts.
We have a big, big problem in big games: we never win them. This issue needs to be fixed asap.
We just collapsed from 3rd place to 9th and I have no expectations away against dortmund. But to play two extra games in the middle of winter will be really bad for playing in the league to win it.
Like I’ve said before: I blame the management for buying average players and not strengthening the squad this winter, it will be the fall of us this season. We can’t win big games and it’s not good.
And there is big chance Napoli could be out of UCL (plays against Chelsea) and no more matches for them. They’ll be free like Milan.
Typical serie a coach mentality.. Elite teams aim to win as many trophies as possible, but serie a sides tend to want to exit European football early to focus on the scudetto.. Daft league..
Inter management must buy a player in January like is there someone with half a brain in the management. The current defence is terrible Acerbi is no longer fit to play for Inter. The loss against Arsenal isn’t news as it was expected the moment the match was announced the issue is Inter will think Chivu somehow he’s a magician and will make Acerbi age backwards by 5 years. Just at the very least get a new defender. Henrique is there until Dumfries is fit so there’s nothing to do unless when Chivu feels brave and let Diouf play there and give the team a fighting chance in big matches from the start
we just seem to Never have enough energy in the second half of games, we need younger legs in midfield, just too old to sustain enough energy against the big teams with these players. Look at the Arsenal changes…. Nevermind onto the next one, league is most important as this team is nowhere near built to win the champions league.
The players are not fit.. They are not well-trained… But hey, when I point these obvious facts out, I’m termed an enemy.. Lol.. It’s okay.. Results and facts never lie…
Yeah we suck against big teams. We won’t win a champions league with these players and we all need to accept that. Lautaro was the only person creating anything and that’s our star striker. He was literally coming back to defend, win the ball and setting up players for the counter. The only reason we had a decent first half is because of him and guess what? He got tired. These tactics don’t work against big teams when players get too gassed to finish out a game. Arteta was the better coach by far, he set the game out to expose us in the 2nd half and we were to tired to do anything. There literally was no game plan from Chivu.
Focus on Serie A. Coppa also.
Losing 3-1 against the best team in the world at the moment is really not that bad. The delusional fans on here think we’re world beaters when we got our ass handed to us on a plate just a few months ago in the UCL final. What a joke hahaha
stay happy at our team losing, lmao what kind of thinking is that. No one’s mad that we fucking lost moron, we’re at HOW it was lost
Man shut it… You complain just like Conte. This man left this team years ago and we still have ppl like you that think like him. We didn’t put a foot wrong in this game and still lost so what is your point?
didn’t put a foot wrong? Henrique breaking our offside trap. 3 defenders in front of gabriel jesus but no one stopped him. Sommer starting his dive low when the shot was mid air. Multiple wrong foots. Stop praising this.
you have a distorted perception of reality if you think we did not a put wrong foot during the entire game. We played badly, our defense in a state pf collapse, attack inefficient, midfield disconnected, etc
You must be enjoying Inter playing like shit for some reason
It’s bad when ua at home and arsenal rested their players
we also lost to Liverpool and Atletico, basically against any serious opponent in UCL. Some fans really prefer Inter to be a mediocre club
Chivu has been impressive a lot domestically
however he is the worst coach in big games
we played better FC
we got robbed FC
no one gives a f
granted he’s a new coach and I still full heartedly believe in him
but I won’t bother watching the dortmund game
also got a speeding ticket typing this
Yes, focous on Serie A. There we are strong. We lose against Juve and Milan and we win most of other matches. 🙂
This loss wouldve not mattered so much if we won both games previously but liverpool we shouldve gotten a draw
0 points in 3 games. It is a coach issue.
Meanwhile Conte failed to beat Copenhagen with 10 players. UCL needs quality coaches, not ones who survive on beating small teams.
The problem with these big games isn’t the fact we are losing. it’s HOW we’re losing. So many avoidable goals, passing for the most part is atrocious. Lautaro… I love him but he ghosts in these games. Last season he was a beast in the champions league and now… nothing. I don’t get how Sommer keeps getting minutes he isn’t reliable. Pio needs to be a starter, he’s a sleeping giant who needs more minutes to become the beast that he is.
I cannot believe these fans. Susic has been the ONLY player who achieved something on the pitch today for inter and they are only looking at a MISCOMMUNICATION for the third goal even tough he played one of the best games we’ve seen from him. HE IS 22 IN HIS FIRST SEASON QUIT THE HATE. We honestly didn’t expect a win here did we
Susic was man of the match for Inter in my opinion. When Zielinski was pinned down Susic stepped up while Barella cower away running aimlessly or just passing when he should take responsibility as a senior player. I can’t remember the last time Mikhi scored with Susic there’s a chance a goal and goals win matches
that pretty much shows our level. Just play the B team in UCL and focus on Serie A. Get some more players with winning mentality and start thinking about UCL next season.
Exactly.. But the problem is that the management and scouts are daft.. Like picking Pio over Sebastiano… Laughable…
We need change and refreshment in every fuucking position, get rid of oldtimers who are finished with playing for top clubs in Champions league and those not good enough