Inter Milan may have had a recent blip but Liverpool should be worried

The Martinez and Dzeko combination, a refined version of Conte’s system and Brozovic and Calhanoglu pulling the strings in midfield… Inter Milan may have had a recent blip, but there’s plenty for Liverpool to worry about

• Inter Milan take on Liverpool in a hotly anticipated Champions League last-16 tie
• The reigning Serie A champions have maintained their levels from Antonio Conte
• Simone Inzaghi is now in charge but has developed a more refined style of play
• He replaced Romelu Lukaku with Edin Dzeko as Lautaro Martinez’s strike partner
• Denzel Dumfries also offers a new dimension to their play at right wing-back 

When Antonio Conte left Inter Milan last summer it felt as though their return to the summit of Italian football was going to be short-lived.

Their inspirational manager had left, talisman Romelu Lukaku was sold to Chelsea and Achraf Hakimi was moved on to PSG as the club’s Chinese owners struggled to re-coup every penny they could.

Just months after winning their first Serie A title since 2010, Inter’s chances of retaining it appeared to be very slim.

Inter Milan are preparing to take on Liverpool in the Champions League last-16 on Wednesday

Simone Inzaghi has made subtle tweaks that have enhanced Inter since Antonio Conte left

But a slightly refined version of Conte’s Inter system has risen from the ashes of his departure and once again the Nerazzurri are proving to be the strongest force in Italian football.  

Under Simone Inzaghi, who previously coached Lazio, they will go to the top of the table and two points clear of city rivals AC Milan (and 11 points ahead of Juventus) if they win their game in hand. 

They also got out of their Champions League group for the first time since 2012 – something Conte failed to achieve last season – so it will be anything but a smooth ride for Liverpool in their last-16 tie.

Jurgen Klopp will still see plenty to lick his lips at, though. Inter threw away a lead to lose the Milan derby earlier this month and then only drew with title rivals Napoli last weekend.

But there is still plenty to be wary of for the Reds. Sportsmail highlights some areas where the first leg could be won and lost in the San Siro tonight.

The Martinez and Dzeko connection

It is rare you see teams playing with a front two in modern football but Inter have continued with their 3-5-2 system, despite Lukaku’s £98million move to Chelsea in the summer.

Martinez and Lukaku were superb together. They scored a combined 49 goals in 92 appearances last season and were at the sharp end of Conte’s vertical, sweeping moves.

They played to each other’s strengths, too. Martinez would be bustling around and pressuring defences while Lukaku would arrive to moves late and finish off chances.

So when Lukaku departed he left a void in Inter’s attack. Rather than replacing him with a youngster who they could sell on for profit in future, Inter looked within Italy and signed Edin Dzeko from Roma on a two-year deal.

Edin Dzeko (left) replaced Romelu Lukaku as Lautaro Martinez’s (right)  partner in the 3-5-2

The Bosnian arrived at the San Siro having scored 119 goals in 260 appearances for Roma. He also knows what it takes to win silverware, having lifted the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg in 2009 and the Premier League with Manchester City twice.

Dzeko is ideal for Inzaghi’s system. He is neat and tidy in possession and is great at linking the play between wing-backs, midfielders and the strikers. 

He is yet to strike up the same level of partnership that Martinez had with Lukaku but 14 goals in 32 appearances so far this campaign is a solid return for a 35-year-old.

Martinez, on the other hand, is fast becoming one of European football’s best strikers with his innovative finishing, hard-working nature and selflessness.

The 24-year-old is already in double figures for goals this season and he probably won’t be at the San Siro for much longer.

Inzaghi’s take on Conte’s system

Inzaghi still uses Conte’s 3-5-2 system but they are now more focused on possession and intricate passing

It is no secret that Conte is a tough taskmaster and anybody who has ever played under him will know that the minimum he expects is blood, sweat and tears.

Inzaghi has not at all ripped up any of his predecessor’s work but he has tweaked things to make them more dominant in possession and relaxed away from the pitch. 

‘Inzaghi has given us back our freedom and has reminded us football is a game,’ young defender Alessandro Bastoni recently said in an interview with La Repubblica.

Inzaghi still plays a 3-5-2 but is not as rigid in his structure or build-up play, like Conte, and prefers to give his players freedom when on the ball to influence things as they see fit.

Slick passing and neat and tidy interchanges between the back three, the trio of central midfielders and wide players are part and parcel of what you expect from Inter, instead of the all-action, vertical running under Conte.

Inter are also defending higher up the pitch (something that could cause problems against Liverpool’s dynamic front three) and pressing more. So it is no wonder Jurgen Klopp is such a fan. 

‘A top, top, top class team with a top class manager. Probably the best team again in Italy this season,’ the  Liverpool boss said on Tuesday.

‘They have conceded a few goals in the league recently, but they’re rock solid.

‘Very well organised, very well drilled, and they also have creativity on the pitch and good individual quality.

‘We need to show a top-class performance to even have a chance.’ 

Liverpool have had a little trouble when facing a back three this season. Chelsea have held them twice in the Premier League this season using that set-up, and Brentford and Tottenham have troubled Klopp’s side with back threes, too.  

Control in midfield

A part of the success behind Inter’s newfound penchant for possession is the ability of midfielder Marcelo Brozovic to dictate the tempo and direction of any game he plays in.

The Croatian currently leads the team in both carries and open-play passes this season and is the perfect platform for Inter’s sweeping moves to rest on.

The 29-year-old has been an almost ever-present for Inter this season and the likes of Fabinho, Thiago and Naby Keita must shut him off if Liverpool are to gain any sort of foothold in midfield.

It was a huge blow for Inter when Nicolo Barella was banned for both legs of the last-16 tie after being sent off in their final group game.

The Italian, crucial for his national team at Euro 2020, picked up a brainless red card for punching Real Madrid’s Eder Militao in the group stage.

Marcelo Brozovic (left) and Hakan Calhanoglu (right) provide the perfect balance in midfield 

It means that Arturo Vidal is likely to start in his place, which means plenty of experience but can the Chilean compete physically with Liverpool’s midfield trio?

Hakan Calhanoglu caused a stir in the summer when he upped sticks and left AC Milan to move to Inter.

But as well as providing a delicate touch in the final third, the Turkish star is also relentless off the ball and regains possession a lot for a player who used to operate on the left or as a No 10.

His set piece delivery is also sublime and Inter have made the most of his arrival, combining his accuracy and their height to score from 11 corners. 

Creative wing-backs 

The 3-5-2 system does not work unless you have wing-backs who are both physically gifted and talented on the ball. 

Fortunately for Inter, they have those attributes in both of their wide players. Whether Inter are successful will largely depend on how their wing-backs play and what we usually see is them going from box to box relentlessly.

Denzel Dumfries was one of the breakthrough stars of Euro 2020 on the right for Holland and he was rewarded with those performances by Inter, who signed him on a four-year deal from PSV Eindhoven.

There is no denying the Dutchman is not as technically gifted as say Trent Alexander-Arnold but his height advantage and speed will cause Andy Robertson problems, particularly if the Scot raids forward like he usually does.

Width is key in a 3-5-2 and Ivan Perisic (left) and Denzel Dumfries (right) flourish as wing-backs

Dumfries has maintained his sublime form for Holland at Euro 2020 since arriving from PSV

Inzaghi expects his wing-backs to contribute both ways and Dumfries has already scored three goals and provided five assists this season. 

On the other flank is the seemingly ageless Ivan Perisic. We all know him as the tricky dribbler of a winger who tore up defences in Germany with Wolfsburg and Dortmund and in his first few season at Inter but now he’s asked to go the other way, too.

He faces the toughest of tasks to keep Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah in check and, in doing so, restricting Liverpool’s most creative forces. 

Perisic is still a threat going forward though and long balls over the top to the Croatian are an obvious feature of their game plan. Five goals and there assists show Perisic is dangerous.

When asked who his favourite Inter player is, Klopp said on Tuesday: ‘That’s Ivan Perisic. I worked with him, we won the double in Germany.

‘We played against him for Wolfsburg and lost a cup final. I like Perisic a lot.’

Experienced defenders

As well as the absence of Barella, Inter are also expected to be missing young centre back Bastoni. You may wonder why his loss will be so key.

Well the 22-year-old is currently ranked second for Inter in both carries and open-play passes this season. He is also left-footed, which is a boost to any team playing with three centre backs.

But fortunately Inzaghi can call on his prime war horses in Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij in a bid to shackle Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota.

Skriniar has long been high on the list of targets in many Premier League recruitment departments and it is easy to see why.

The Slovak not only piled up the minutes on the pitch for Inter Milan in the last year, despite a bout of coronavirus, but he has also been an outstanding performer.

Milan Skriniar is one of the best centre backs in the world and boasts every attribute required

Stefan de Vrij has plenty of experience but could drop out after a poor performance at Napoli

He is composed on the ball, fierce in the tackle and is not afraid to bark orders at any of his team-mates. Skriniar is the ideal lieutenant for Inzaghi out on the pitch. 

De Vrij is just as highly regarded but his form has been average at best in recent weeks.

The Dutchman plays with Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt in a back three for the Dutch national team and has been linked with Manchester United before.

He signed for Inter from Lazio on a free transfer in 2018 and has proven to be a huge bargain, playing regularly under Conte and Inzaghi in recent seasons.

But he has suffered a crisis of confidence recently. He gave away a needless penalty to Napoli on Saturday and has not generally been at the peak of his powers.

Danilo D’Ambrosio could stand in for Bastoni on tonight but there is speculation that, if the youngster is good to go, D’Ambrosio may replace De Vrij instead.

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