In an interview with Cittaceleste.it, legendary Inter player Sandro Mazzola has shared his thoughts and feelings ahead of this weekend’s top of the table clash between Inter and Lazio.
“I don’t think it will be a decisive match for the title, but it will certainly be a good match. It will be the challenge that will see two teams that never give up confront one another. Both teams know how to play football and are teams that will be fighting until the end for the title,” Mazzola began the interview.
He was then asked who he thinks is the favourite to beat Juventus to the title between Inter or Lazio, who have given Juventus one of their toughest challenges in a good few years.
“I hope Inter can do it. They have a formidable manager. Conte is a certainty. He is a determined manager, who manages to get into the players’ heads and make them express what he wants them too.”
Mazzola then went on to speak about Inter defender Stefan de Vrij who will be up against his former employers on Sunday and is expected to be treated to a hostile reception.
“Sometimes it happens that players who have strong technique and are really very strong players, suffer mentally in some games. You expect a lot from them in these big matches and then, maybe, you have the opposite reaction. Let’s see if he can overcome this pressure this time.”
Mazzola spent his entire 17 year playing career on Inter’s books between the years 1960 and 1977. Mazzola is widely regarded as one of the club’s finest ever players and he made a significant contirbution during the Grande Inter years of the 1960s under the stewardship of the great Helenio Herrera.
Mazzola made a total of 558 appearances across all competitions in a Nerazzurri shirt, during which time he scored 160 goals.
