Capello tells Inter what to avoid against Barcelona and still believes in Arsenal | OneFootball

Former Milan coach Fabio Capello says Inter must avoid sitting deep, especially in the final minutes, against Barcelona and believes Arsenal can still qualify for the Final despite an ‘outstanding’ Gigio Donnarumma.

Inter or Barcelona will be the first Champions League Finalist. The Nerazzurri and the Catalans meet again tonight at San Siro after a spectacular 3-3 draw in the first leg last week.

“I hope Inzaghi’s men approach the game as they did in the second half in Catalunya, rather than how they played in the first half.” Capello wrote in his column for Gazzetta dello Sport.

“This will require the right amount of courage, which was evident after the break at Montjuic.”

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 16: Nicolo Barella of FC Internazionale celebrates with teammate Federico Dimarco following their victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and FC Bayern München at San Siro on April 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Federico Dimarco is set to start as a left wingback, which, according to Capello, confirms Inter’s non-defensive approach tonight.

“Lamine Yamal is on the flank, which means the game plan is unchanged. Inter will try to hurt their opponents without giving up on quality on the left flank,” wrote the ex-coach.

“Switching play from right to left and using two arrows like Dumfries and Dimarco could be one of the keys to qualification.

“If the game is balanced, I hope Inter will avoid sitting as deep as they did in the last 20 minutes against Bayern. Against Lamine, that would be suicide.”

Capello warns PSG about possible Arsenal comeback

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Mikel Merino of Arsenal scores a goal past Gianluigi Donnarumma of Paris Saint-Germain which is later disallowed due to offside following a VAR review during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between Arsenal FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Emirates Stadium on April 29, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

PSG and Arsenal will meet in the other semifinal on Wednesday after the French side secured a 1-0 win in London last week.

Despite their home loss, Capello believes the Gunners can still win the tie against the Ligue 1 champions.

“Arsenal truly impressed me against Real Madrid, and they have all it takes to come back from a home 1-0 loss,” noted Capello.

“Last week’s game was heavily influenced by Dembélé’s early goal, which frightened Arsenal. I’ve rarely seen Arteta’s team so cautious and timid, almost more focused on avoiding conceding a second goal. But in Paris, there won’t be room for calculations. The only thing left to be seen is whether the passivity in the first leg was purely psychological.”

Lastly, Capello praised Italy captain Donnarumma, suggesting that meeting him in the Final would not be ideal for Inter or Barcelona.

“I previously wrote that, if Inter qualify for the Final, facing PSG would be better than the English side,” Capello concluded.

“Perhaps I underestimated a factor with a first and last name: Gigio Donnarumma. PSG play good football, but if they’ve come this far, big credit goes to our star goalkeeper, who was outstanding against Liverpool and Aston Villa. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to face him in a Final if I were an opponent.”