Inter Milan vs Arsenal: Champions League preview, predictions & bet builder tips

• Inter and Arsenal expected to share the points on a battling evening in Milan

• Martin Odegaard backed to test Yann Sommer with a shot on target

• Nicolo Barella tipped to pick up a card in a low-scoring affair

As Champions League football returns, Ladbrokes shares its detailed Inter vs Arsenal preview, with expert bet builder tips, predictions, and live odds.

The Gunners currently sit top of the league phase table with a perfect record of six wins from six, and remain the outright favourites to win the Champions League for the first time in their illustrious history. They renew acquaintances with Inter at the San Siro on Tuesday night, who won this exact fixture last season, and who are also looking good for a top-eight finish and automatic qualification to the round of 16.

Read on for our carefully selected Inter Milan vs Arsenal Bet Builder, and don't forget to check out our Champions League acca.

• Fixture: Inter Milan vs Arsenal

• Date: Tuesday, 20 January, 2026

• Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

• Venue: San Siro

Our prediction: Inter Milan 1-1 Arsenal

Two European heavyweights meet in the Champions League's league phase for the second consecutive season, and after Inter's 1-0 victory in November 2024, Arsenal are arriving in Milan with a point to prove. A tactical battle between two of football's meanest defences is on the cards here, and despite having so much attacking quality on the pitch, we think these two teams could cancel each other out in a low-scoring affair.

It's the Serie A leaders vs the Premier League leaders, and on a high-profile night at the San Siro, we're predicting a 1-1 draw.

Predicted lineup (3-5-2): Sommer / Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni / Henrique, Barella, Zielinksi, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco / Martinez, Thuram

Predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya / White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber / Rice, Zubimendi / Saka, Odegaard, Trossard / Gyokeres

Martin Odegaard played less than an hour at the weekend in preparation for a gruelling shift on Tuesday night, and with Inter likely getting men deep behind the ball and deploying a strong defensive shape, the Arsenal skipper will be crucial in breaking down the Serie A title favourites.

Odegaard will pick up a lot of dangerous positions in Inter's final third, and if last season's meeting is anything to go by, the Gunners could enjoy a lot of the ball - with Mikel Arteta's side having 20 shots at the San Siro last time out. As we've seen a number of times throughout his Arsenal career, Odegaard is never shy about shooting from range, and with Inter looking to frustrate Arsenal's frontline, the chance to have a pop at goal from further out should crop up.

With that in mind, we're backing Martin Odegaard to have at least one shot on target vs Inter.

Arsenal (1 goal conceded) and Inter (4 goals conceded) have the two best defensive records in the 2025/26 Champions League, and we think that could show on a closely-contested evening in Milan. Both leading the way in their domestic leagues, these two teams know exactly what it takes to get points on the board, with a strong spine and a resolute backline giving the rest of the team the platform to shine.

Two excellent goalkeepers in Yann Sommer and David Raya, a number of imperious centre backs, and defensive midfielders to challenge anyone mean both attacks could have trouble creating too many clear-cut chances, so we aren't expecting a goal-fest at the San Siro. Only one of Inter's last four games has seen over 2.5 goals, while Arsenal have registered back-to-back 0-0 draws in the Premier League - so under 2.5 goals is our pick here.

Dipping into the cards markets seems a decent choice considering last season's meeting between the sides, where six yellow cards were dished out on a feisty evening in the Italian capital - with both managers even getting their names taken by the referee. One of those six cards was shown to Inter midfielder Nico Barella, and with his all-action approach coming up against Arsenal's combative pairing of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi, we're backing him to be booked again here.

The Italian does have one Champions League booking to his name already this season, adding to his three in Serie A, and as he commits almost two fouls per game in the UCL, he seems a smart pick here. Playing in the heart of Inter's midfield, the 28-year-old is always strong in the tackle, and will be keen to set the tone for his side against the current favourites to lift the Champions League trophy.

We're anticipating another full-blooded evening, and Ladbrokes is backing Nico Barella to be shown a card by referee Joao Pinheiro.

Rounding off our Inter vs Arsenal bet builder and predictions, we're backing a draw at the San Siro, with the two teams cancelling each other out and settling for a hard-earned point. A draw would confirm Arsenal's progression to the last 16 of the Champions League, while it would leave Inter needing a win against Dortmund next week to secure their place in the knockouts.

Inter haven't lost a game since falling behind at Anfield in December, while Arsenal are unbeaten in 11, so there's no clear favourite ahead of kick-off at the San Siro - but neither team knows when they're beaten. We should be in for a real blockbuster clash on Tuesday night, even if we aren't expecting too much goal-mouth drama, with two of the continent's best going toe-to-toe - and as they resume their long-standing Champions League rivalry, we think the spoils will be shared.

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.