It’s the day of Inter-Arsenal, the fourth round of the first phase of the Champions League. Both teams come into it in a good league position 7 points each, but among the Nerazzurri there is an increasingly clear thought on the horizon: its name is Napoli, the leader, and the opponent on Sunday evening, always at San Siro.
The crossroads with Antonio Conte will inevitably weigh in Simone Inzaghi‘s choices for tonight as well. The probable line-ups for Inter-Arsenal indicate the possible absence of five big names against the Gunners: Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Nicolò Barella, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Marcus Thuram.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inzaghi is well aware that winning tonight would mean streamlining the placement among the top eight and the direct qualification to the round of 16 of the Champions League, without going through the playoffs. However, the coach is also aware of the grueling schedule that is marking the Nerazzurri’s season, with numerous big matches in the league being played between European commitments.
And speaking of Serie A, Inzaghi is convinced that this title race will be decided by direct confrontations, precisely because of the great balance that reigns in the tournament. Beating Napoli would have an invaluable value, because it would mean not only overtaking them in the standings, but also sending a psychological message to the Parthenopeans and all the rivals. For this reason, five big players could end up on the bench tonight but are likely to be seen sometime in the second half.
