ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Inter Milan's season will be defined by Benfica clash

ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Inter Milan are approaching a crucial crossroad in their season, as they prepare to face Benfica in the Champions League… plus, Romelu Lukaku needs to step up to the challenge and return to scoring

  • Inter Milan have approached a crucial point in their 2022-23 campaign 
  • Defeat in the Champions League could spell the end of Simone Inzaghi’s tenure
  • Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku continued his issues in-front of goal on the weekend 

Inter face Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with full realisation that they have reached a crucial crossroad in their mediocre season.

The 10 defeats in Serie A and the numerous contractual problems regarding the team’s top players has put Simone Inzaghi with his back against the wall.

The Italian coach knows that he may soon be shown the exit doors at the San Siro, especially if his side are eliminated from the Champions League.  

And, the result of the big match against Benfica could irreparably mark the path of the team this season, whilst also weakening their technical project for next year. 

Without victory in Champions League, and without a place among the top four teams in Serie A, Inter would lose a lot of economic strength for their next season.

Inter are approaching a crucial point in their season ahead of their Champions League tie

The Nerazzurri will take on Benfica on Tuesday night in their quarter-final first-leg clash 

Ten defeats out of 29 games, six consecutive games without a win, two goals scored in the last 4 games. 

These are the horrible numbers of a team which, while remaining hooked to the European positions in the standings, risks derailing at any moment.

The draw against Salernitana, after missing a dozen useful chances to score the second goal, demonstrates how Inter suffer from a disorganization that is difficult to overcome so soon before their clash against Benfica. 

And, Benfica are perhaps the worst opponents for Inter to face right now, considering their fast and aggressive football and relentless energy. 

Inter seem to have physical problems and the presence of opponents with great physicality could be an insurmountable obstacle between the Nerazzurri and the Champions League semi-final.

LUKAKU UNDER PRESSURE

Queen and Freddy Mercury could have written a second edition of ‘Under Pressure’, one of the most beautiful songs of the historic British band, inspired by the last months of Romelu Luaku’s tormented career. 

Inter’s managing director Giuseppe Marotta is trying in every way to stimulate a positive reaction in Belgian striker, who is currently struggling both physically and psychologically. 

The Chelsea loanee spends most of his time, immediately after Inter matches, handing his shirt to the fans and apologising for his poor performance by putting a hand on his chest. 

Right now, he’s out of control. It’s no longer possible to correct his tactical flaws but we just have to hope that a little pride can allow him to finally be decisive on the pitch.

Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku has struggled to discover his best form at Inter this year

Between Fiorentina and Salernitana, Lukaku wasted some fantastic opportunities on goal, and those missed chances were attributable solely to his technical errors. 

He’s not happy, there’s clearly something troubling him and the results on the pitch are embarrassing. 17 games and three goals in Serie A are too few for the highest paid striker in the Italian league. 

As reported by the ‘Gazzetta dello Sport’, Lukaku at the end of the match against Salernitana, approaching the Inter curve, took responsibility for the draw and asked the fans for support. 

The problem is that the fans are asking for goals and not diplomatic apologies because there is a risk of turning a bad season into a bankruptcy season.

DRAW WITH SALERNITANA DESTROYED THE TEAM, FANS AND COACH

The bad result against Salernitana demolished the concentration and serenity of Simone Inzaghi’s team. 

Inter statistical numbers reveal enough evident tactical and technical cracks to warrant fearing the worst for the last 50 days of their season. 

48 goals scored and 33 conceded in 29 games are the perfect photograph of the failure of Inter, who so recently had erected an insurmountable wall in front of goalkeeper Handanovic during Antonio Conte’s tenure at the club. 

There is a 35-year-old who arrived on loan from Lazio, Acerbi, who arrived at Milan to plug a hole in a defense that will lose Milan Skriniar in June, and today became the permanent starter for Inzaghi’s side.

This small tactical analysis would be enough to understand how Inter built the team’s defensive line by hiding behind the fears of their coach.

In attack things are no better than in defence. In the last month Inter have regularly shot at goal between eight and 15 times per match, but never manage to score 2 goals in one game. This is a technical, tactical and, above all, mental problem. 

There seems to be little attention from Simone Inzaghi and the team seems to be suffering more than it should from its manager’s inexperience.

Simone Inzaghi is under growing pressure amid Inter’s poor run of form this campaign

WITHOUT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, THE NEW COACH WILL BE THIAGO MOTTA

According to the ‘Corriere della Sera’, in the last few days Inter have seriously considered the idea of entrusting the 2023-24 bench to Thiago Motta. 

The Italian-Brazilian coach is achieving great results at Bologna and the Nerazzurri would happily decide to bet on him in the event of Simone Inzaghi’s farewell.

Marotta observes Thiago Motta’s work on the Bologna bench with pleasant interest and thinks of him as Simone Inzaghi’s heir. 

If Inter’s technical situation were to continue, Chivu would be promoted as first team coach until May and Thiago Motta would become the first candidate on the Italian club’s list for next season.

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