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.
Chivu is good in serie a and average teams but against big teams he consistently falls short because he’s not brave enough. Starting Acerbi was just a prediction of what would happen in the match. If he were to try a different system and use Diouf and Frattesi then I would say he was trying to make to catch Arsenal but he uses Diouf knowing full well the guy can attack better but use Henrique who will give nothing in attack. Great first half but second half the better team won without breaking a sweat
#Marotta out
we really lose on physical term
epl player seem like racing horse
the difference between the two teams? they took their chances, we fluffed ours! no point blaming the coach, when our players can’t finish chances. arsenal were not the better team, we had better chances.. they had better players!
Finally! Thankx brother. 100% agree
We also had Acerbi which means it’s a guarantee counter attacking goal. However 100% Inter finishing is so bad Thuram shots are now usually weak or miss hits. But you should also agree that only 1 coach was looking for a win from minute 1 and it wasn’t Chivu and for that he gets the blame.
Not bad. Inter played well. We lose only 3:1 against leaders of UCL and PL. We scored against super Arsenal defence. Only I hope we’re not too tired for Piza. Piza is more important to keep distance against Milan. I believe in Scudetto after what Inter showed against low and middle table teams. UCL is just to be there for some money, nothing else. 😛
Problem is we are trying to play inzaghi ball with wingbacks as our only outlets and not trying anything new – this approach has been found out long time ago and unfortunately Chivu is not bringing anything of his own to the team
They started idolizing Marotta. And he’s been making terrible signings for at least two seasons now. The last one was choosing Chivu, who had neither the experience nor the resume to coach Inter.
I don’t get how one can blame chivu when management can’t even buy the right players for him. lmao. It’s so clearly an issue of missing players.
Yes, that too. But Chivu also bears some of the blame for the poor football they displayed.
stop crying kid.. what do you want chivu to do wear his boots and go score the goals? with his system we created so many chances! thuram specially, then sucic, henrique, fratessi etc fluffed so many chances. we need better quality players, no point asking our pussycats to play like lions.
Well in the match against top opposition and you start someone like Acerbi who seems to defend like he’s about to cry every time then people will have questions. He’s not fit to start in any of the top 5 teams in Italy yet he gets a starting place in a big match. I don’t think I expected Inter to win the match and how you lose matters a lot
I just want Sommer out of this lineup. He’s a backup keeper this year. He’s been so MID. Why is he starting to go down for a shot in the air? We need a system where we aren’t playing like cowards the entire 90 minutes. What is management doing? BUY PALESTRA. Cant wait for the summer when stankovic can come in. Midfield needs a change
Buy Palestra with what money? They spent 50 mln on Diouf and Henrique. lol
They have been having an extra 35 million leftover from the summer
I can bet that we won’t buy anyone this transfer window and no big signings in the summer!
Only Secele comes at zero cost lol. Perisic is coming and even then, maybe not lol
The funny thing the other is pure proven mediocre(Henrique) then the other still has potential but high risk. So what ends up happening the mediocre one who makes it 11 vs 11 starts Lol
Susic at CDM should officially be a finished and failed experiment… He’s been AWFUL since Zielinski went off.
Idk why people were saying he is a DM. At Inter he has never shown he has the ability to play at that position.
And there are still people who are against selling the weak Fratesi, lol. They’ll miss Inzaghi. Inter’s level today is only beating teams like Pisa and Como. They don’t win big games or against big teams.
He’s not weak have you seen Barella costing Inter goals but literally be weak and not stop from balls that should be goal kicks. Frattesi was the right guy to start Arsenal was leaving a lot of gaps behind that needed late runs again Barella completely useless at that
I truly truly hope we don’t reach the round of 16 and focus solely on the league like ac milan
WE ARE NOT WINNING ANY BIG GAMES THIS SEASON NO MATTER HOW MUCH SOME FANS COPE
it’s simply better to focus on something we got a chance at
Of course inter always have the chance at winning the weak league…
That what I say but most of fans don’t like to hear. I want full focus on Serie A. We have chance to win it. We shine against low teams.
Chivu was successful in one thing, and that is implementing an inferiority complex on his players. Leave the Champions league to the big boys and concentrate on winning the Scudetto. Second half is full of empty, neutered possession…
Yes, full focus on Serie A. I say that too.
Too many weak players. Henrique is bad, Acerbi is done for, Akanji is bad, Zielinski is a ghost, Thuram is a lazy diva
Susic is just mentally not there yet. Terrible awareness
good night guys, it was nice to see you all here. good days are coming
Inter 19*(50+50)+8, one of the best fans, let’s focus on Serie A. We have chance to win it. 😉
It’s just as I predicted.. Inter will not win any big team if they continue with this modus operandi.. Facts never lie…
Pure g@rbage team
our defense stood still . That’s what happens when we don’t play Enrique lol
Im done lmao. This team is absolutely shit. Stop defending this absolutely bullshit. It’s tiring. Absolutely horseshit. SOMMER NEEDS TO GO
Susic…WTF.. CLEAR THE BALL DUDE
Wtf was that sucic
Lol acerbi
So far very ineffective possession game. Only can think of Pio’s first shot. You can’t break down stronger teams playing like this.
Sucic’s long passes are like Tony Kroos’s. what a player we have
Team needs him to step up. Hopefully he is on a good form and continues to improve.
maybe winning big games isn’t what’s important but the friends we made along the way
Ref is disaster
sub thuram now he is lazy
And dimarco with Carlos augusto
It’s crazy the guy lasted 90 minutes Lol. Lautaro isn’t 100% fit but it was Thuram who was just watching the ball not pressing unless he has no option.
Replace Lautaro with Pio. Barella with Frattesi. Replace Henrique with whoever is on the bench.
hahaha
we are so inferior that this is getting harder and harder to watch..
Lol.. Some fans here will say I’m too cynical, when the fact there for all to see…
call me crazy but this game has Fratessi written all over it
Our tame coach heard you.
we are lucky not to have conceded at least 2 goals more so far
I don’t blame Chivu. It is difficult to play vs big teams with 10 players. Henrique does not count.
What do you mean? He’s the one playing him. Carlos Augusto is more attack minded than this ghost.
Augusto does not seem to feel comfortable on the right. You have a point though, at least Augusto even out of position would be better than playing with a man less.
What a bottle from Henrique
Just wheel Darmian on in a wheelchair
Anything’s better than this crap
Wasn’t that penalty?
Henrique is the new dumbo. Always back passes.
Omg barella…
honestly I’m impressed with Sucic and Henrique
it’s lautaro who’s been incredibly disappointing
Don’t get disappointed, vs big teams Lautaro is usually a ghost.
Sucic has always shown glimpses, just too up and down
What the hell you’re watching with Henrique I don’t know? He’s been atrocious. Single handedly stopped like 3/4 potential attacks himself by either not running or being too scared and passing backwards
Enrique keeps sending the ball back as soon as he gets it
It’s like having 11 brozovic’s
Like ffs “ATTACK!!”
Henrique is a nightmare, why go forward when you can just stop altogether
You all know toro is gonna score, right. Just checking
extremely doubtful
If he does you need to remind everyone you called it lol
It’s all Dumfries fault
hhhh
Again so much negativity… Yes our goal was lucky, but so was both theirs, and we had 3 pretty good chances to equalize with Thuram, Henrique and Dima. Henrique is definitely lacking self confidence, as he just looks how to get rid of the ball and Barella on low level last 5-6 games, but still I think we putting a good game here, as they are much younger team and can press good, but similar like Barcelona last year, they are vulnerable on skipping the middle, and Thuram and Lautaro both are able to hold the ball. All in all, be more positive you negative cunts, especially the Juve fan Tariq, nobody there of you to put a good word when we win 😉
Let in 2 stupid goals. First goal I have absolutely NO CLUE why Henrique is breaking the offside trap and moving towards Sommer. Second goal 3 PEOPLE are in front of G.Jesus… Sucic been amazing though. Zielinksi been a ghost but he’s probably not used to this position…
Yes. The second goal was even worse. Everyone was staring at the ball in the box, thinking it had gone out of play. We conceded a goal to little G. Jesus, lol.
Well if Zielinski is a ghost have you seen Barella. In fact it’s evident that Zielinski is the target for Arsenal press leaving Barella and Susic so far only Susic has step up while Barella has been poor for his standards
I honestly don’t think Barella has been too bad. I’m not saying Zielinksi is a bad player he just hasn’t done anything as of yet.
Henrique a disaster in defensive as offensive, dude is really -1 player for us sadly 🙁
guess who scored for Napoli
man… Sucic is like a prime Modric today
the only difference being that prime time Modric used to play for a winning team
Boy is power ma men. Cheers. We’ll grind that win somehow. Me got a feelin 😉
Bodo glimt won against man city 3-1 at home btw. Imagine eus playing against glimt.. It would be a horror movie.
Best Susic first half at Inter. Arsenal look open for Inter to score goals but they’re hoping to get more corners so they score again tho because Sommer is just not the keeper for this set up because he will wait for something to happen instead of going for the ball
Acerbi Running back for his life every counter attack
Balanced game so far decided by episodes. Let’s see how the team adjusts in the second half.
My eyes hurt everytime barella touches the ball
tf is acerbi grabbing onto his shirt for?!?!
That Susic Fake shot is so good
honestly I’m impressed with Sucic and Henrique
it’s lautaro who’s been incredibly disappointing
This is not a sports site it’s a circus judging by the number of clowns hating inter :))
whether we like to admit or not, what Inzaghi did in the UCL last year and in previous years was nothing short of miracle..
Yes and we reached final with even worse team 2 times.. It’s real miracle
Yes. They didn’t give Inzaghi the credit he deserved. He may not have done very well in Italian football, but he worked miracles in the Champions League. He made Inter a protagonist against the big clubs.
I feel bad watching acerbi, this is real abuse because he’s not used to this intensity against epl team
Henrique is fast and nothing else
Very weak. For the money it cost, it should at least know how to finish on goal.
inter wouldn’t go anywhere in the champions league Chivu, he a poor manager
yes that’s it give them more corners
Barella just go ur done
Wtf are you smoking
Wow…nice comments. I guess you are that kind of person that is perfect.l at his job. Every day at your work you are perfect. Everything that you do is perfect and nothing, never is wrong. It is a pleasure for us all that you are here. It is a real blessing.
Just be happy that Sweden was willingly accepting you to enter. No one else will, just so you no.
Just started watching, Is Acerbi starting this game going as bad as i think it has?
this team can’t win a big game if their lives depended on it
what a waste of a corner
Lol lautaro
Allsvenskan vs epl
Just be happy that Sweden even allowed you and your parents a way in to the 1st world. Cus no one else would.
Akanji and Acerbi are not very good….
Chivu I love you
but you are a big game clown
The whole serie a can’t play… Evidences abound…
Not Chivu’s fault, these problems have been here since last season. Chivu inherited this side and is trying to fix the problems
So soon. I hoped til second half we keep draw.
worst defending of the year and it has to come against Arsenal. WTF are they doing?
Way to go inter
Stop thinking the balls gone out ffs
That’s twice in 2 weeks
Just see it out!!!
Also it’s always Barella getting out classed in those cases. The team just freeze and start ball watching thinking the danger is already over
Sleeping…sleeping in defence today…
Bravo 2-1 to arsenal
You have to be KIDDING ME
The things one has to read on this site. Holy shit. Serie A has the level of the Swedish league? Really? We are all aware of the fact that Serie A is nowhere near its best days, but that level of “analysis” is pathetic to say the least.
We can go back to CL’s last match day to see that Atalanta beat Chelsea in a convincing manner, but I guess that’s not part of reality since reality only counts when Serie A teams lose.
this was the “Swedish league” defense indeed 🙂
Thuram that was just poor
Why didn’t sucic shoot stop giving it to thuraaam!!!
Keep going forward and don’t try to settle for a draw. Fight for either 3 points or for nothing. Trying to settle for a draw vs Atletico & Liverpool left us empty-handed anyway.
fantastic goal…with lot’s of luck and chaos that preceded it, but still brilliant
SUSICCC!!!!!! A la Calha
Mkhitaryan would have targeted the stars
See? When you match intensity they fold. Good pressing all around!!
Nice, Sucic. Forza.
What a goal. Susic
Great goal indeed… He knew what he was doing…
SUCIC!!!!!!!!
Wow we scored
And this is something that is like science fiction? Or what? Enjoy the game, don’t be that negative. Forza Inter!
To all the fans that see the darkness right now, i’ll say – calma brothers. 1-1
against Arsenal, we’re sort of like Venezia against us..I understand that there is a huge financial gap between our two clubs, but what our management and ownership did during the transfer market last summer was criminal! Still, amazingly, there are many of our fans on this forum who are quite ok with that…
I got attacked by many on here for criticizing our management and their decisions last season and season before. Yes most people here are okay with it.
Lets hope our opponent in the play-off is a small team.
as expected
expected. another strong team and another defeat for Inter.
This is not serie a… This is “big boys” league. Suddenly inter can not put 2 passes together, yet some people here are blind to the reality… Ooh well.. Let’s keep watching…
We would even struggle against Newcastle, serie a teams are at level of Swedish allsvenskan. Sad reality.
Yeah. We would even struggle against any other team in the world. We have no level.
Do you expect now disaster?
1 0 already
yeah we look absolutely pathetic once again
Cause it’s not weak serie a opponent…
When we face big teams, our passing is truly atrocious
the only realistic outcome is our loss, everything else if blessing from the sky…
I’m already having heart attack with all that pressure of arsenal… God help us
Ok Acerbi starts why and how… But hopefully Inter gets some points because Arsenal are mostly looking to keep their perfect record. Inter’s attack have enough to score against them while in defence even with questions in the CL Inter have done well. Forza Inter to be the best you gotta beat the best
Stankovic scored again in the UCL. After all he might be the new DM we need to get.
The guys should only fight for the 3 points and not try to settle for a draw. We threw away 2 points in the last 2 games, so hopefully the lesson has been learnt well.
Yeah.. Fans and the management like Esposito… Someone who can not control the ball, and they chose to sell Stankovic.. If that’s not daftness, then I don’t know what daftness is…
Glad Sucic is getting a chance again. Mkhi been underwhelming. Hopefully he takes his chance and establishes himself. I think we can beat Arsenal. Hopefully Thuram is well rested and not tired, cuz at his best he will score. Gonna be a good game.
You’re very optimistic.
Very tough match against leaders of PL and UCL. I will say only forza Inter.
It was a painful to watch Inzaghi would defend and got something from this match and definitely from Liverpool match
Yes, now focus on Serie A.