Former Inter central defender Nicolas Burdisso has shared his belief that matches like tonight’s against Real Madrid are necessary for Inter to understand what they are made of.
“The match against Real is a key match in Conte’s project. Inter need to play against the strongest in Europe to know what they are made of,” he explained in an interview with Spanish news outlet El Pais.
“I have studied Conte a lot because when he was at he apex of his career I had to face his teams. The system is important to him. When one moves, the other must move as per the system, not by concept. His idea has always been the same, playing in stages, being aggressive and with high pressure, trying to build from behind.”
Burdisso then went on to comment on the changes made to Inter’s defence during the Summer transfer window.
“The main change in the Inter squad was in defence. Godin was sold and Kolarov arrived, he is a left wing-back who has been adapted to play centrally and Conte began another type of analysis by experimenting with De Vrij at right centre back.”
The Argentine then went on to discuss the midfield and some of the problems that the midfield is experiencing.
“The main unknown is in the creativity of the midfielder. Historically Conte plays with three midfielders and this gives him a lot of dynamism. Now he has Eriksen as playmaker, with two players behind him and the team is a bit flat.
“It’s a problem because Conte’s strength has always been the midfield, with players throwing themselves between the lines.
“He is lacking a bit of creativity because the midfielders do not have great ability to reach the opponent’s box and then because they are lacking Eriksen’s skills.
“In Conte’s history there is always space for a creative variant, at Juve he had it with Pirlo and Tevez and at Chelsea it was with Fabegas and Hazard. In Italy it is very difficult for Eriksen to find the spaces he found in England because there are few counterattacks.”
Burdisso also shared his views on Inter’s wing-back department.
“The function of the wing-backs is simple and linear. They constantly generate amplitude. You know that there is always someone on the wing. They never go off the rails, they don’t interpret other situations.”
In conclusion he touched upon the Nerazzurri’s attack.
“Conte has always had great goal scorers among his forwards. For other coaches the attacker is a finisher but for him it is the basis of his style of play, especially for the amount of balls that are played into the box.
“Movements are always synchronized, every manoeuvre is studied. If the ball is on the right, Lukaku is there, if Lukaku comes back to get it Lautaro goes deep. If Lukaku gets out, Lautaro goes to get the ball.
“Perisic? It is more difficult to see the same principles with him because it is difficult for him to play with his back to the goal, he does not know how to do it and is not in sync with the other striker. For now he has played from the wing, attacking or defending without leaving the wing. Inter are missing a fourth striker.”
Burdisso joined Inter in the Summer of 2004 from Superliga Argentina side Boca Juniors and spent the next five years with the Nerazzurri club before departing for Roma.
In his half-decade with the club, the now 39-year-old, who retired in 2018, made 139 appearances across all competitions, in which he scored eight goals and provided five assists for his teammates.