Legendary Italian football manager Arrigo Sacchi has shared his belief that Inter deserved to win their Champions League group stage match away to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday evening.
The Nerazzurri club went into the match at the Kyiv Olympic Stadium as big favourites but came away from the match with just a single point after playing out a goalless draw with the reigning Ukrainian Premier League champions.
“On Tuesday Conte’s Inter deserved victory. It did not arrive and Antonio, as great coach as he is, will have to find the causes and remedy them, you cannot hide behind bad luck, hitting the bar and the missing chances. Reality tells us that Inter could have six points and instead they find themselves with only two,” Sacchi explained in his column in today’s print edition of Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
The 74-year-old, who is best known for his spell in charge of AC Milan in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then went on to share his thoughts on Inter’s first half showing in Kyiv.
“The first half was good, the Nerazzurri dominated and made it difficult for Shakhtar. The defensive line and the way Inter attacked and Hakimi were a problem for the Ukrainian defence, but Inter did not score due to too much selfishness and a bit of haste.”
As for the second half performance of Inter, Sacchi, who last managed Parma in 2001, added: “In the second half the play of the forwards became less and less coordinated, they were not so mobile and determined.
“The game no longer flowed, collaboration and synchronisms were no longer effective. The team and individual imagination was clouded and so the defence of the Ukrainians was no longer surprised.”
Sacchi proceeded to go on and share what he felt Inter needed to do in order to change the game and what he thinks Inter are lacking.
“Alternatives were needed, there needed to be changes of speed, different movements without the ball, one player had to attack deep, another had to come short, attacks had to be made with a series of passes where everyone receives the ball in motion.
“This would have elevated the tempo and speed of the game which, on the contrary, was increasingly diminishing. In the non-possession phase, the Nerazzurri should have exploited the strength and experience of their players and also the pressure should increase in favour of the counterattacks that are part of the DNA of our teams.
“Perhaps Inter lacks a player who gives dictates tempo and the rhythm of play in the midfield. Today Inter are a team that are a work in progress, they are an unfinished one but they are lucky enough to have a great coach who will surely be able to give them a winning style.”