On April 15th the defeat that seemed to have irreparably compromised the season, then the rebirth: six successes in 7 games, the conquest of the final in Istanbul in the Champions League and the Italian Cup. Here’s what happened
What really happened after April 15 we will never find out. Because there is no (logical) explanation. Or perhaps because the beauty of football is also this. What did Inzaghi and his players say to each other at Pinetina, in the locker room, the days following the home defeat against Monza at San Siro? A month and a half ago, with the return of the Champions League quarter-finals upon us, Inter were a team on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a team that had racked up 11 defeats in the league and seemed destined not to get into the top four in the league.
the transformation
—
Now, however, he has put the Italian Cup on his bulletin board, eliminating Juventus in the semifinals and then beating Fiorentina on Wednesday at the Olimpico, he has achieved qualification in the last act of the Champions League by ousting Benfica and then Milan, while in the league he has won 6 of the last 7 races and has secured participation in the most prestigious European cup again next year. And more profitable, let’s add, with the 45-50 million guaranteed for entry to the group stage alone. A nice breath of fresh air for the viale della Liberazione club, which dreams of the fourth Champions-Copa dei Campione in its history, but which is also serene for having secured an important transfer from Nyon in 2023-24.
What numbers
—
But let’s go back to April 15th and everything that came after. In just this month and a half, the Nerazzurri have played 12 official matches: 7 in Serie A, 3 in the Champions League and 2 in the Italian Cup, bringing home 10 wins, 1 draw and 1 knockout. Side note: the 3-3 against Benfica (3-1 in the 86th minute…) was like a victory in the light of the 2-0 in the first leg in Lisbon; last Sunday’s 3-1 at Maradona was irrelevant for the purposes of achieving the minimum goal set by the club in the summer, namely entry into the top four. Seeing the performance of Inzaghi’s team since mid-April, one wonders why a squad with this potential hasn’t worried Spalletti’s Azzurri in the race for the Scudetto. The answer linked to the “ups and downs” underlined by everyone creates many regrets. Ditto the injuries of Lukaku and Brozovic who deprived the group of two fundamental elements. Didn’t Dzeko and Mkhitaryan make them regret? True, but Inzaghi was unable to rotate men as has happened in the last period. Just the turn over has given a nice hand to dose energy from mid-April onwards, but there is also something else behind this clamorous string of results from D’Ambrosio and his companions.
Simon and the head
—
It was as if the group had to first find themselves on the edge of the abyss, or rather out of the top four in the league and with qualification to be conquered in both the semi-finals of the Champions League and the Italian Cup, before really bringing out the best. In those days after the 1-0 draw against Monza, everyone changed the chip in their heads; everyone started making an extra run for their teammates, not only on Champions League nights, but also against small and medium-sized teams in Serie A. A good chunk of the credit for this overbearing comeback must be given to Inzaghi and his staff: the technician from Piacenza felt that he did not have the full trust of the club and the frequent top management at Pinetina confirmed this to him. Another coach, perhaps, would have lost his bearings, while the former Lazio player continued to work, sure both of having the team on his side and of being able to count on an important general athletic condition. It was enough to turn the light back on, eliminating Benfica and earning qualification for the Euro-derby, then the desire to amaze did the rest. The championship commitments have no longer been “annoying training” in view of the nights of the Champions League or the Italian Cup, but matches not to be missed. Facing greats like the Romans (both victorious in the first leg) perhaps helped in terms of motivation, but Inter weren’t wrong against Empoli, Verona and Sassuolo either. Now, after celebrating their second consecutive Coppa Italia on Wednesday (the fourth trophy of the two-year period) and qualifying for the 2023-24 Champions League last night, Inter dreams of finishing the job in Istanbul. If the Nerazzurri make history at Ataturk, many will think back with a smile painted on their faces to that Saturday 15 April, when the ravine was just a step away, and Inzaghi, instead of ending up in it, swerved, driving towards glory.
May 28 – 12:06
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED
#knockout #Monza #todays #dominant #Inter #weeks #changed