Inter Milan vs Arsenal prediction 20.01.2026 | Champions League

Inter are excellent this season. In the Champions League, they have a realistic chance to finish among the best eight teams and progress directly to the 1/8 final, while in Serie A, Cristian Chivu’s team is at the top of the standings with six points more than AC Milan and Napoli. Inter are in excellent form with five victories in the last six matches. In the previous game, they won 1-0 on the road against Udinese. The home side ended with xG of 0.22, while the guests had 1.60, so Inter’s victory was well-deserved.

Inter’s head coach, Cristian Chivu, was ecstatic about his team’s defence in victory against Udinese. He said, "Lately, the whole team has been working brilliantly in defence, with great attention and responsibility, from pressing high to maintaining the mid-block. We defend high, press with the forwards, and through their work, the pressure from behind, and the intensity and courage of our midfielders to go into duels, as well as the defenders’ bravery to hold a high line, we're working well. The commitment and determination of this group are incredible."

Inter have problems with missing players. They will be without Hakan Calhanoglu, Raffaele Di Gennaro, Denzel Dumfries, Josep Martinez, and Tomas Palacios on Tuesday night against Arsenal.

The 2025/26 season could be one of the best in Arsenal history. They are at the top of the Premier League standings with seven points more than Manchester City and Aston Villa, while in the Champions League, Mikel Arteta’s team is the only one with all six wins. The Gunners can already, on Tuesday, mathematically secure a place in the 1/8 final of the most elite European competition. Arsenal are undefeated in the last 11 matches. In the most recent outing, Arteta’s team played 0-0 on the road against Nottingham Forest. Arsenal deserved much more in that game, as they had xG of 2.10, while the hosts had only 0.34.

After an unexpected draw against Nottingham Forest, Arsenal’s head coach, Mikel Arteta, was expectedly disappointed. He said, "So without conceding a single shot on target again, the fact we haven't won the game with that, disappointing and on top of that, I think we can do things better, especially in certain areas attacking."

Riccardo Calafiori and Max Dowman are injured and will not play on Tuesday, while Pedro Hincapie is questionable and his status will be clearer closer to kickoff.