The absences alone are not enough of an alibi to explain Inter‘s performance in the Halloween derby. On both the tactical level and in terms of attitude, Chivu‘s team showed shortcomings that are hard to justify solely by the missing players.
The coach chose a revolutionized lineup to deal with the emergencies: in addition to the long-term injured, Provedel was missing and Pio Esposito and Bonny were listed as reserves, having dealt with a flu syndrome in the days leading up to the match. The solution with Sucic and Diouf playing behind the lone striker Thuram did not work: the Nerazzurri center forward was left isolated in front of Amorim‘s defense, without receiving support.
The main problem, however, was the approach. For the umpteenth time, Inter conceded two goals in the opening phase of the match, and this time they were unable to come back. The statistic on goals conceded in the first ten minutes is telling: the Nerazzurri share with Monza the unenviable record of five goals conceded in that time frame. Just when it seemed possible to get back into the game, after Bastoni‘s goal, Moreira‘s free kick arrived, aided by a mistake from Barella.
The first league defeat did not come entirely unexpectedly. Just three days earlier, in Venice, worrying signs had already emerged, though they were overshadowed by a positive result. The packed schedule and limited rotations weigh on physical and mental energy, but they alone do not explain the marked drop seen against Milan at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
What emerges from the evening leads to reflection on a deeper issue: what Marotta had already defined at the start of the season as a “full belly syndrome” seems to have become relevant again in the Nerazzurri dressing room, beyond any seasonal flu.
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