Hussein Marhoon’s Tuesday editorial today is about the game against Juventus. Follow Hussein on Twitter and spread his articles:
Grit, determination, resolve, and tenacity. These are the words that can describe Inter’s performance in their first real test this season. The Inter that showed up against Juventus on Saturday evening is exactly what most Interisti would want to see throughout the season.
The two teams went into Saturday’s match with very little time to prepare due to the two weeks international break. However, the Nerazzurri had none of it and started derby d’Italia with so much confidence as the early exchanges proved. They were close to taking the lead in the 13th minute when Yuto Nagatomo forced a Gigi Buffon into making a great near post save. Walter Mazzarri’s 3-5-1-1 formation and the team’s effective pressing in all areas of pitch minimized Juve’s threat and the Bianconeri had to wait until the 30th minute to get their first real chance on goal when Pirlo released Pogba with a trademark long diagonal ball from the middle of the park but the latter was denied by a fine save by Samir Handanovič. Inter had a half chance from a counter attack near the end of the first half but the shooting angle was too tight for Taïder and he couldn’t beat Buffon.
The second half didn’t see much change in approach by both teams until Mazzarri decided to put in another striker midway through the half. The Nerazzurri tactician changed his balanced 3-5-1-1 formation into a bold 3-5-2 by bringing in Mauro Icardi for Saphir Taïder and the Argentine striker didn’t take long before making his mark as he latched onto a perfectly timed through ball from Ricky Álvarez to put the ball past Buffon after only 4 minutes from coming on. However, Inter’s lead lasted for only 80 seconds as a lapse of concentration allowed Kwadwo Asamoah to feed Arturo Vidal in the area and the Chilean finished neatly from 12 yards out. Juve’s Second half substitute Fabio Quagliarella came close to winning the match for the Bianconeri with a close range header in the 88th minute only to be denied by the ever so reliable Samir Handanovič. The match ended in a 1-1 stalemate which both sides accepted as a fair result.
The real protagonist of this match and of Inter’s good start to the season is certainly Walter Mazzarri. It’s amazing to see how the Tuscan coach managed to turn this group of underperforming players into a solid unit that caused trouble to the league’s best side in a very short space of time. The effect of the coach’s work can be notably seen in all areas of the pitch and also on individuals especially in improving the team in the defensive phase. Let’s not forget that Inter let in a staggering figure of 57 league goals in 38 matches last season whereas Vidal’s strike was the solitary goal they conceded in 4 official matches so far this term. The coach has also done a great job in revitalizing a fringe player like Ricky Álvarez. The former Vélez midfielder is flourishing in his new role, he’s working hard, he’s fighting for every ball and he’s showing lots of confidence and more belief in his abilities. He was the player who won back possession the most against Juve (with 7 interceptions: only Taïder managed to do same during the match, that’s 2 more than Cambiasso and 1 more than Guarín). It’s a brilliant statistic especially for a player who’s supposed to concentrate on attacking duties. The best demonstration of how far Álvarez has came under Mazzarri is the assist he made for Icardi that led to Inter’s goal. He created that goal out of nothing by winning back possession after intercepting the ball from Chiellini and fed the ball delightfully to Mauro Icardi to allow him score.
Another man who deserves much praise in this new Inter side is Hugo Campagnaro. The veteran Argentine defender is similar to a fine wine. At the age of 33, one would think that he was only coming to Inter to get big club name on his CV before hanging his boots, but day after day the summer’s free signing is proving that he’s the linchpin of Inter’s new looking defensive line. His collectiveness, intelligence and soundness is transmitting so much positive vibes especially among his defensive partners Andrea Ranocchia and Juan Jesus. Hugo will certainly be an indispensable player for Inter this season.
Finally, Interisti should not count their chickens yet after Saturday’s solid showing. The signs are positive and the excitement is understandable but there’s still a lot of work to be done and Mazzarri and the players know it. Fans should take it one match at a time and see where it will lead us to.
As ever, with Inter you always never know. Amala!
