Inter Milan defender Manuel Akanji believes his side must be near-perfect to get the better of Arsenal.<\/strong><\/p>\nInter Milan Opponents Arsenal \u2018Not The Best Team\u2019<\/h2>\n
Mikel Arteta\u2019s Premier League leaders are the only club to have won all of their Champions League games to date. However, their Italian opponents will hope to bring an end to their perfect record.<\/p>\n
Arsenal have guaranteed a play-off spot with two matches to spare, but likely need another victory to ensure qualification directly for the last-16 and avoid a dreaded two-legged play-off tie.<\/p>\n
The Nerrazzuri, meanwhile, have lost their last two matches in the competition, against Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, and will be on the hunt for a win to get their own top-eight bid back on track.<\/p>\n
After the defeat in Madrid, Cristian Chivu questioned his players, and he will be demanding a better display.<\/p>\n
Having surged to the top of the pile domestically and in Europe, the Gunners are arguably Europe\u2019s best team.<\/p>\n
But Akanji begs to differ, naming two clubs he believes are superior in an apparent warning shot to Arsenal.<\/p>\n
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, he said: \u201c<\/span>They\u2019re among the best in Europe, but not the best. I don\u2019t think they\u2019re stronger than Atletico Madrid or Liverpool<\/span>. It\u2019ll be a good match. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHave they improved? I don\u2019t watch much football anymore. I have three children at home and I already have a lot of football in my work. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThey definitely have a lot of good players and they\u2019re consistent, which is important to be competitive. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWhat does it take to beat them? <\/span>Against the big teams, mistakes can b<\/span>e punished. We have to be effective in attack and clean in possession.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nAkanji also admitted that winning the Champions League is an unlikely prospect for Inter, despite them reaching two of the last three finals. Instead, his focus is on Scudetto glory.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019ve made progress,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019ve improved defensively. We\u2019re conceding fewer goals and no longer conceding the same number of chances as before. That\u2019s been evident in the results of our last few matches. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOur goal in the Champions League? Bayern Munich is the strongest team. We want to win the Scudetto, which is our goal every year, and be among the top eight in the Champions League.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nCristian Chivu Praises Arsenal Quality<\/h2>\n
Boss Chivu, though, named Arsenal as one of the top two teams in Europe, alongside Bayern Munich, before urging Inter to deliver a faultless performance to secure a result at the San Siro.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re facing a strong team, one of the strongest in Europe right now, and not only that, but also in previous years,\u201d said Chivu. \u201cThey\u2019ve invested, they\u2019re constantly improving.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have an identity, they have players who can cause problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been dominant in the Premier League in recent years, they barely missed a win, this year they\u2019re top of the table and they\u2019re having a great season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know the difficulties we face in the Champions League, what the competition is like and what English teams are like, but at the same time we\u2019re aware of who we are, what we\u2019ve become in recent years in European competition. We know how to approach these types of matches.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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