Inter will find themselves at their first real crossroads this season tomorrow evening when they play host to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League according to a report from Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
Inter cannot afford to lose against Real Madrid or they risk seriously compromising their chances of qualification to the next round.
Antonio Conte’s Inter have not started how they were expected to in the competition with them having just two points from the first three games, a points tally which means they are sitting bottom of group B with three games to be played.
Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic has conceded more goals than he typically would this season and has especially struggled at San Siro where he has conceded 2.2 goals per game compared to 1.16 per game away from home. He could be helped by the return of the first string defence tomorrow.
It is no longer the time to rest the likes of Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij who should be back in the starting line-up and the same also applies for Lautaro Martinez.
The report goes on to add that particular attention should be paid to the psychological aspect. Tomorrow night the ‘old’ Inter must be on show, not the one who performed poorly for 60 minutes in Sunday’s 4-2 win over Torino. The Inter who performed well in July and August is required.
In conclusion the report goes on to add that it is time that the new recruits and their insertion into the team must be accelerated. This applies for the ever present Vidal, who has not been as decisive as expected but above all applies to Achraf Hakimi, who was Inter’s only real investment in the transfer window.
