According to Il Giornale, the crisis at Inter has roots that go deeper than just the defeat in the derby. The newspaper points out that, compared to a year ago, the Nerazzurri have a few more points in the standings — 25 versus 21 — but something less in terms of play and identity. The problem, the paper writes, is that not even Chivu seems to know for sure what the team is missing.
The situation is becoming urgent: tomorrow Inter will take the field at Feyenoord‘s stadium, where a defeat would reduce the Champions League playoffs to the only achievable goal in Europe. On Sunday, however, they cannot afford to lose against Como, who, if victorious, would overtake the Nerazzurri in the standings.
Il Giornale also dismantles some post-derby interpretations. Talking about a wrong approach “means saying nothing,” writes the newspaper, which points the finger at the tactical choice to field only one striker in the absence of Lautaro. The option, according to the paper, was premeditated, also because Esposito was not in such critical condition. There was also always Lavelli, a natural center-forward, who would have allowed Chivu not to disrupt the setup of a team accustomed for eight consecutive seasons to playing with two strikers.
The newspaper recalls how the numerous comebacks this season — six out of ten league matches, eight out of thirteen overall — have been praised as displays of strength, but since they arise from situations of disadvantage, they are just as much signs of malaise. The statements by Barella and Bastoni about needing to rediscover their hunger “mean little or nothing,” in the analysis of journalist Visnadi: Milan won because they were better organized and played better.
The most significant conclusion concerns Barella himself, who reportedly hinted that the Rossoneri’s psychological edge has gotten into the heads of the Nerazzurri players. But, notes Il Giornale, without that luck that often smiles on great teams, Inter would have already suffered setbacks before the derby.
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