MY ACCOUNT
Simone Inzaghi scoffed at the idea of this being a “transition year” for Inter as the reigning Serie A champions showed they are firmly in the title hunt again.
Wholesale change at San Siro has not affected the Nerazzurri’s ambition, and a 2-0 win at Venezia ramped up pressure on early front-runners Napoli and Milan.
Inzaghi arrived in the close season to replace Scudetto-winning boss Antonio Conte, while star men Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi left in big-money transfers. Christian Eriksen has been unavailable since suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 while on Denmark duty.
Inter appear to have chosen shrewdly by bringing in Inzaghi from Lazio as head coach, while players such as Hakan Calhanoglu and Edin Dzeko have been acquired too.
Calhanoglu’s fourth goal of the season – matching his Serie A haul for previous club Milan last term – put Inter on their way against Venezia, before Lautaro Martinez made sure with a stoppage-time penalty.
For Calhanoglu, this was the third successive Serie A game in which he has scored, the first time he has achieved that feat.
Inter duly moved within a point of Napoli and Milan, who are in action on Sunday, and Inzaghi said: “Some people said this was supposed to be a transition year to rebuild. I came in and the club helped me in everything. These players are magnificent and I think we’re getting better by the day. We have to keep going like this.
“I’m coaching a group of great players and great men. We got straight down to work in the summer and despite losing Lukaku, Hakimi and Eriksen, we brought in players suited to the way we want to play. Now we’re continuing to grow one step at a time.”
Inter were dominant and deserved winners at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, capping a week in which they made sure of their place in the Champions League knockout stage by beating Shakhtar Donetsk. They also beat Napoli last weekend, inflicting a first league defeat of the season on Luciano Spalletti’s men.
“It’s a great period for us and this was a big week,” Inzaghi said, quoted on Inter’s website.
“We played some lovely football and the only downside was we couldn’t get the second goal to put it to bed earlier. Leaving the game open against a dangerous, well-drilled side like Venezia is always risky. But it was our third game in a short space of time and the lads did a fantastic job.”
There were drawbacks to the win in Venice, with Inzaghi reporting Matteo Darmian suffered a “twinge in his thigh”.
“Hopefully it’s nothing serious. He’s a very important player for us,” Inzaghi said.
And Calhanoglu came off early in the second half having needed a thigh massage during the interval.
Inzaghi said the Turkish midfielder was “doing brilliantly” for Inter, adding: “After three consecutive games I didn’t want to risk him so I took him off 10 minutes into the second half.”
