Mateo Kovacic training

After losing the derby in China Roberto Mancini is determined to win tonight accoridng to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Here are the three important points that Mancini is aiming for according to the paper:

  1. Solid defense. A clear objective stated by everyone including Mancini; ‘those who concede  less go further’.  Clear message. After conceding 3 goals against Stuttgart, 2 against Carpi, one against Milan, Bayern and Galatasaray and 3 against Real Madrid Inter finally managed a clean sheet against Bilbao. This was the first real game in which Miranda and Murillo were starters. One of the most important things for the coming season is to cancel those horrible and constant mistakes defensively. With just ten days until the start of the season Mancini will likely play Miranda and Murillo again and give careful instructions to the central midfielders to protect the defenders.
  2. Kovacic-Kondogbia=K2. Seeing Medel is always there to work hard defensively, Kovacic and Kondogbia should be able to retake the central midfield. Yesterday both players trained with the rest of the squad (as did Hernanes who should start in the trequartista role in the initial 4-3-1-2). K2 need to show that they can work together, especially Kovacic needs to find the timing in the regista role which Mancini is shaping for him. He needs less touches on the ball and maximum attention while Kondogbia just needs to get in shape. His legs are heavy after the hard preseason which he was not used to (different set up at Monaco). Sooner or later the K2 will be an item in the middle and Mancini expects development from the pair and behind them there is always Medel and Gnoukouri who is promising.
  3. The goals. The 4 games before the game at Parma against Bilbao Inter didn’t score a single goal (Bayern, Milan, Real and Galatasaray). A drought that left many perplexed at the inability to score. Against Bilbao on the other hand Icardi and Jovetic both scored and with the possible arrival of Perisic that looks like an interesting threesome up front. JoJo is still behind physically but he still scores, just like Icardi who is in better shape. Palacio is ready to give the pair a helping hand and a replay of their performansens against Bilbao is  what Mancini is hoping for tonight.

Source: la gazzetta dello sport-