Inter’s convincing 5-1 victory away against Cagliari momentarily moved the nerazzurri up to 5th place above Lazio (who play tonight against Bologna). Stefano Pioli answered questions from journalists at the stadium following the match:

After the defeats with the previous formation, is it safe to say that the 4-2-3-1 is the team’s main formation now?

“I am not dwelling on the past, but we have done well using both formations. Today I chose the 4-2-3-1 because I considered it to be the best one for this match.”

In terms of the Champions League places, has Napoli’s victory against Roma complicated matters?

“Nothing has changed for us. We have to maintain our form and not suffer any more setbacks.”

What do you make of Banega’s performance?

“He [Banega] is a quality player. I have to congratulate the entire team on a great performance. Ever obviously did well as he was involved in some great plays.”

Is there a strong emphasis on the attack?

“Today we scored a lot of goals and won the match. We were quite relaxed in the first half, but we came out in the second half with the desire to kill off the game, and we did just that.”

Touching on the topic of Banega again, do you feel as if he is a player that helps the team only in stints?

“We have found a nice balance in the play-making position this season. Having Joao Mario allows me to make decisions. None of us have doubts regarding Banega’s quality. Maybe you do.”

Maybe he [Banega] has found it tough to adapt to the Italian League.

“Spanish football is different, but if someone knows how to play football they can thrive anywhere.”

Was this victory do to Inter’s quality or Cagliari’s poor match?

“I cannot speak for Cagliari, but we did well to take control of the game. We must continue along this path.”

Now are you confident about the team’s challenge for third place?

“It is normal that the home defeat against Roma caused disappointment, but we have a strong group. Today we won a tough match. Now we need to carry on.”

Why is Nagatomo not getting a lot of playing time?

“He [Nagatomo] has similar qualities to other players. It is tough to make a final decision. Yuto is definitely a great professional.”

Source: FcInternews.it