The team, encouraged by Inzaghi, reacted to the Bianconeri’s late victory in Monza. The psychological aspect was decisive, but also the energy saved by the owners at Da Luz
This time the fundamental aspect was the psychological one because tactically there was little to invent against a Napoli who, despite the change of coach, played with the tactical formation, the 4-3-3, thanks to which they celebrated last scudetto. And preparing the match at Maradona for Simone Inzaghi wasn’t easy because in last night’s postponement his men were called upon to “respond” to Juventus’ overtaking and Milan’s attempted approach. In short, they had so much pressure on them that the coach was able to manage and transform it into fuel for the Nerazzurri’s tank of pride.
DUEL WITH JUVE
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In the Pinetina locker room there is the feeling that in 2023-24 the tricolor duel will be with the Lady. Inzaghi rightly does not exclude Milan and Napoli from the race because just 14 matchdays have been played and because the gap with the Rossoneri is 6 points (+11 compared to the Azzurri). At the same time, however, the solidity shown so far by the Bianconeri and the Agnelli family club’s habit of winning forces Lautaro and his teammates to consider Juve the main rival. This is why the success achieved at the U-Power Stadium on Friday evening thanks to a Gatti goal in added time had to be… managed in the right way. The Piacenza coach did so, encouraging him to send an important signal to Allegri’s team and, more generally, to all the competitors, including Milan. Staying ahead of the Bianconeri in the standings has a particular value according to the former Lazio coach: it reinforces his belief that they are the strongest and at the same time does not make the Lady believe “too much” in the possible undertaking.
RESPONSE TO NAPLES
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However, an answer also had to be given to Napoli who had “ripped” Inter in the Scudetto race last season: Inzaghi’s men had ended up 18 points behind and, despite the direct clash won in January, they had never given the sensation to be in the running for the championship. Simone knew that beating the title holders at home would be an important signal, also because the match against Maradona was yet another high-ranking clash of the first 14 matchdays in which Lautaro and his teammates challenged Milan, Fiorentina, Atalanta, Roma, Juventus and Naples. All jokes except for the Bianconeri. A winning mentality against the big teams built at the end of last season when the Nerazzurri achieved third place in Serie A with a great comeback and gained access to the Champions League final.
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CHIAVE TURN OVER
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Having said the reasons, the athletic condition had a huge impact. And from this perspective, the turnover launched by Inzaghi in Lisbon had a decisive impact. Let’s be clear, Inter was able to give its starters a breather at Da Luz because in the previous four days of the Champions League they had already achieved the mathematical qualification for the round of 16. Something that Napoli had not succeeded in, instead having to waste a lot of energy at the Bernabeu. The different expenditure of forces in Wednesday’s matches at Maradona was evident. Especially in the middle of the pitch, the Nerazzurri made the difference, demonstrating that they have an edge over their opponents. Down 3-0 at half-time against Benfica, Inzaghi could have thrown some starters into the fray and instead he kept “faith” to the plan, obtaining the equalizer thanks to the recovery of the second lines in the second half. Last night the Nerazzurri starters, compared to those of Napoli, had just over a third of the minutes in the Champions League. And especially in the second half the difference was quite marked.
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2023-12-04 18:07:44
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