This morning, in the 17th round of Serie A, Inter won 4-0 against Cagliari to win five consecutive Serie A wins, surpassing AC Milan on points and officially reaching the top of Serie A. The significance of this match is extraordinary, and it can also be seen as a milestone for the Nerazzurri and even Serie A this season. Tonight, Inter, who are returning to the Champions League knockout rounds after many seasons, will also know who their next opponent is, and how lucky is it? Touching hearts.
4-0 Cagliari, more than just a big win
Inter's home match against Cagliari in the 17th round didn't look like much suspense. On the one hand, the traditional club, the defending champion last season, is still in good shape at his home field, and on the other hand, the fringe team in Serie A, which is unknown and has not played very well recently. It is widely predicted that Inter will be able to win easily, and the result will be as everyone thinks. However, the significance of this round of events can not be limited to this.
First of all, at the strategic level, Inter milan officially reached the top of the first place after this battle. Last season's defending champions, the Nerazzurri, were "faded" in the offseason, with the departures of Lukaku, Ashraf and Conte less optimistic that they would be able to make a difference in the new season. Although little Inzaghi came with a dream, there were many long roads ahead and too many challenges, and people did not dare to believe him, only to seek stability. At that time, public opinion seemed to think that Inter was even "stable" and it was difficult to "maintain stability", and the wind and rain were shaky.
Unexpectedly, after a relatively short run-in, Xiaoyin not only brought stability, but also brought surprises. After 17 rounds, the tenacious Inter "bit" Napoli, who were in full form in the quarter, "waited" for the mistakes made by the old rival AC Milan himself, and then beat the opponent to the top with three points. "Long winds and waves will sometimes", XiaoYin's efforts have been rewarded, and he deserves this position.
Secondly, at the tactical level, it also confirms the rationality of Xiaoyin's playing style. The cliché is that Inter invited Xiaoyin to coach because his tactics can ensure stability to the greatest extent and do not require too much investment from the top. Combined with recent performances and overall performances of the season, this is true. The Champions League qualifiers have fulfilled the dreams that Spalletti and Conte have not fulfilled for several seasons, and the five consecutive Serie A wins have also shown the correctness of the "Ingenic strategy": attack! offensive! Or offense!
In this game, Inter once again blasted 24 shots on goal, "barely" reaching the average line (the average level of the last 5 games, terrible); in the Champions League group stage, Inter also ranked first in the round of 32 (19.7 per game to beat Real Madrid). With the encouragement of Xiao Yin, the starting Dzeko and Lautaro do not need to say that the brothers have scored 21 goals together, not worse than lulao's combination. Substitutes Sanchez and Joaquin Correa will also flash when needed. The overall offensive system arrangement has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the players are happy to play for him. "Firmly believe that Aoyama will not relax", Little Inzaghi's insistence is correct.
Suppression: Inter shot 24 vs opponent 5 (shot 15-2), creating opportunities Inter 6 vs opponent 0
Naturally, Xiaoyin is not a "tendon", he encourages offensive football to pay special attention to the tuning system. In the 4-0 win over Cagliari, Qarhan (8.6) once again played at a high level, and the voice of calling him a "parallel cargo" was getting quieter and smaller. Brozovic (7.4) remains stable and he is Inter's base set. Barrera (9.3), who has recently encountered criticism, sent two assists to announce his return to the outside world. The substitutes Vidal and Sensi are not idle, and they also have their own mission responsibilities after they come up. Oh, don't forget, this is a rare full attendance of Sensi, and Xiaoyin seems to have even cured his "glass man" attribute.
In addition, the problems on the defensive end were almost solved, and Bastoni Devry Schke finally joined, and the strongest defender line in Serie A was ready to come out. Even these days when DiMarco and D'Ambrosio are on top, the Nerazzurri defense is solid enough. Scoring the most goals in Serie A with 43 goals (true blue and black Atalanta second, 37 goals), conceding 15 goals and second fewest in Serie A (Napoli 13 goals), it is appropriate to describe it by the balance of attack and defense. "Who has not seen the history of the ancients, and now sees the famous ancients", I hope that Xiaoyin can continue to work hard and bring more "surprises" to everyone.
Some minor issues
After Lukaku left, Inter's penalty shooters were also "taken away", and now the team does not have a real penalty shootout. Although Charkhan Oulu is king in free kicks, he does not seem to be so proficient in penalties; Dzeko's free throws are still reliable, but Xiaoyin prefers to give Lautaro. This morning's big win Lautaro lost the point again (Milan derby) and did not complete the hat-trick. Coach Xiao Yin also gave his own explanation for this problem after the game, and he chose to believe in his own small players. The cheers were right, but Lautaro did have to practice penalties seriously.
Then there's the Handa problem. In this game, Handa still plays the whole game, and the 37-year-old Inter has played 23 games (17 Serie A + 6 Champions League, full attendance), and the high intensity will make him a little tired. Some time ago, Handa's fluctuations and ups and downs also encountered criticism from the outside world, although he has gradually recovered his personal state recently, but it is still necessary to consider the issue of succession as soon as possible. Can Radu be the starter? It still doesn't seem like there's a direct, definitive answer.
Again, it's the forward bench. Dzeko is indeed efficient and reliable, and he needs to take turns and needs people who can stand up and solve his problems. This morning's game can see that Xiaoyin is also experimenting, and the appearance of youngster Satriano is a signal. After selling Pinamonti, the team needs to buy or cultivate new people as early as possible to fill the gap in the front, and the likes of the popular Scamaka, Marotta are also considering, and the Nerazzurri who advance to the Champions League knockout stage will naturally have more plans.
Fate is decided tonight
In addition to the excitement of directly reaching the top of the game, the lottery ceremony held tonight is also touching. Inter, who have once again advanced to the knockout rounds, will meet their next opponent. This arrangement of "one draw to determine the future" is indeed tense and exciting. Everyone is looking forward to good luck.
However, big data tells people that Inter's opponents do not seem to be too "weak", and potential opponents include Bayern, Manchester City, Liverpool, Ajax and Lille. Among them, the probability of winning Bayern, Manchester City and Liverpool is as high as 70%, and if you add the total victory over Ajax, the data will reach 85%. None of these opponents is a "fuel-saving lamp", and if they encounter it, it will definitely be a bitter battle. Although the promotion has already completed the task, no one will take the initiative to give up such a great merit temptation. The manager and players are bound to want more.
Which opponent do you expect Inter to meet? Is it a peak duel with a strong enemy? Or is it a stroke of luck to meet Lille?
(Li Qian)