In an intense Champions League match, Inter Milan triumphed over Arsenal with a narrow 1-0 victory on Wednesday, marking their eighth win in nine competitive games (D1). This impressive streak also includes a 1-0 triumph against Venezia last weekend, positioning them just one point behind Napoli in the league standings before this pivotal top-of-the-table encounter. With a win, the Nerazzurri could seize the top spot outright, buoyed by five victories in their last six league matches (D1), giving them substantial momentum.
The home side has secured six wins in their last ten Serie A head-to-heads with Arsenal (D3, L1), but maintaining that success requires addressing their recent performance at San Siro. Inter’s mixed results in their past four home league fixtures (W2, D1, L1) suggest that victory is not assured. Nevertheless, scoring another goal would extend their streak to 29 consecutive Serie A home games with goals, one of the most impressive ongoing records in Europe’s major leagues.
Napoli saw their lead over Inter reduced to just one point after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta last weekend. Remarkably, this was only the second occasion that a team managed by Antonio Conte lost a Serie A home game by such a margin.
They might face back-to-back top-tier losses for the first time since December 2023, prompting the visitors to seek a swift recovery as they strive to emulate the six consecutive victories they achieved just before their loss to Atalanta.
The Partenopei seem to relish away matches, arriving at San Siro with a four-game unbeaten streak in Serie A on the road (three wins, one draw). Impressively, they have kept clean sheets in each of these outings. However, this defensive record will be challenged by an Inter side that has found the net in every league match this season.
Players to watch: Matteo Darmian, who scored in a 1-1 draw at San Siro last season, must be cautious of his aggressive tendencies, having accumulated a personal record of five cards in these encounters. Meanwhile, Matteo Politano aims to score, as his three career goals in these fixtures have been pivotal in securing wins, and 15 of his last 18 league goals have occurred during Napoli victories (three draws).
Hot stat: Inter netted the first goal in five of their previous six home league matches against this opposition.
