Inter just can’t be stopped and wins with a clear 4-1 against Cremonese, marking the team’s fifth consecutive victory under Cristian Chivu across all competitions. The Nerazzurri have also returned, at least for one night, to the top of the Serie A standings thanks to the twelve points earned in six league matches.

Below, as always, we offer you some observations and insights that you might have missed while watching this Inter-Cremonese match from the 6th round of the league; here are five of them.

  1. One of the big flaws of last season’s team was the attack, since behind the ThuLa there were no reliable players. Now, however, the whole department is performing at its best and two young players have arrived who are scoring. All the forwards are now scoring goals and, above all, they are doing so more evenly compared to 2024/25. Bonny and Pio also help the team play well. Yesterday, in Inter’s dominant first half, Lautaro was only fifth (tied with Barella) for the number of balls touched in the opponent’s penalty area. Bonny, Frattesi, Dimarco, and Dumfries did better than him, which shows the team play of the Nerazzurri; Frattesi was also the most offensive player.
  2. This is one of the countermeasures Chivu is applying to face low blocks, the famous teams that sit back, even though Cremonese conceptually lined up with two attacking midfielders and a striker to create the usual difficulties Inter has had with the playmaker. The Nerazzurri coach is also working on shots from outside the box to break down low blocks and has in fact asked Barella to shoot when he has the chance. As a result: Inter is the team that shoots the most and has the best attack in Serie A.
    Moreover, with 7 balls recovered in the final third, Inter continues to press impressively. The tactics Chivu is working on are therefore different, with training sessions that last longer than in the past and a great deal of work on the players’ mentality.
  3. The mental aspect can be seen in various other things. The first is Dimarco’s athletic endurance, who was devastating for 90 minutes on the left flank, like never before. But also Barella’s words about Bonny, saying that the team needed guys like him, and finally Chivu’s statements about Dumfries, who seemed nervous after being substituted. All this demonstrates great team unity, and now Diouf will need to be protected from the criticism that immediately started.
  4. Barella’s match as a playmaker was excellent, even better than the one against Torino, which also ended in a rout. Number 23 played as many as 109 balls, maintaining 87% passing accuracy, winning 3 out of 7 duels, and even intercepting a ball. Obviously, more challenging matches will now be needed to test an evolution towards this role that Barella began to play in the season of the second star. However, before this break, Calhanoglu was in great form and has slightly different qualities from the Sardinian, especially in shooting from distance and in combination play. The best thing for Inter is for them to play together, perhaps in the future even in a possible two-man midfield. The important presence in the final third that the Nerazzurri midfielders provide is balanced by the defensive thirds, that is, Akanji and Bastoni, who may push forward a little less in certain situations.
  5. Yesterday in the LIVE we ended with a question after Inter-Cremonese: is the break now a good thing or a bad thing? For Chivu, it’s a good thing: relaxation for those who stay here, pride and motivation from the national team for those who leave.