With a characteristic reaction, Inter managed to get a great revenge against Fiorentina, quickly putting behind the collapse in Florence. A solid performance from the very first minutes wanting to impose all their desire for success against Raffaele Palladino’s team. A well-deserved and precious victory that pushes Simone Inzaghi’s boys to -1 from Napoli at the top of the table.
To delve into the main themes of the Nerazzurri’s success last night at San Siro, here is the appointment with our, ‘Five things we learned from Inter-Fiorentina 2-1’.
1 After the poor performance on Thursday, Inter responded with strength and determination, clearly imposing themselves on Fiorentina. A victory that leaves no room for doubt: Inzaghi’s team dominated, displaying a fluid and aggressive game, closing every space to the opponents and showing a desire to win that bodes well for the future. We can say without mincing words: that of Florence was a momentary blackout.
2 There are no other words to describe the performance of the Inter against Fiorentina. The numbers speak clear: ball possession that hit peaks of 74%, two posts hit and a ball circulation decidedly faster than Thursday’s race. Fiorentina, as in the first leg, closed behind trying to contain and counterattack, but this time Inter knew how to circumvent the defensive block with greater fluidity. The desire to win and convince was evident from the very first minutes, and the final result was the logical consequence.
3 We cannot fail to talk about the refereeing, once again detrimental to the Nerazzurri. The corner from which Inter’s goal originated was marred by a touch of Bastoni out of the field, but we must make a fundamental observation: the probability of scoring on a corner is between 3% and 8%, while on a penalty it rises to 75-78%. And here is the crucial point: the penalty awarded for the alleged handball by Darmian is nothing short of debatable. The header by Gosens was too close to speak of voluntariness. And if you look at recent episodes, it makes even more noise: in Lecce-Inter, a similar intervention was not whistled for Baschirotto, just as for Mancini in Venezia-Roma. An interpretation that raises more than one question.
4 If in Florence it was difficult to find a sufficient player, this time it is equally difficult to choose the best on the field. Barella offered a monumental performance, Carlos Augusto stood out for consistency and thrust, Lautaro fought on every ball, winning almost all the aerial duels, while Arnautovic decided the game with his goal. Acerbi, returning from injury, played an entire game with great security, and Zielinski – in the control room in the second half – finally fully convinced. A choral performance that underlines the value of this team.
5 The importance of this match goes beyond the three points. After Napoli’s draw with Udinese, Inter is only one point behind the top of the table. Now the schedule heats up even more: in the next round there will be two crucial head-to-head clashes, Lazio-Napoli and Juventus-Inter. The Scudetto race is in full swing, and Inter has sent a strong and clear signal: they are here and ready to fight until the last day.
