Inter legend Beppe Bergomi was full of praise for Achraf Hakimi and Nicolo Barella following their performances in last night’s Derby d’Italia triumph against Juventus.
Antonio Conte’s side ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Barella and Arturo Vidal after dominating their arch rivals, who performed way below their best at San Siro as they lost the fixture for the first time since 2016.
Inter are seven points clear of Andrea Pirlo’s side after Sunday’s win and Bergomi believes the Nerazzurri are more credible candidates for the Serie A title.
“Inter won the match with their usual key players and playing their own brand of football, with an incredible superiority in midfield,” he told Sky Calcio Club on Sky Sport Italia.
“They won it by taking care of the small details and with their concentration.
“Inter’s strikers were marked well but Conte’s organisation prevailed.
“Barella and Hakimi dominated the match.
“Marcelo Brozovic played a great game too, but Juventus never pressed him well.
“Inter played well and they demonstrated that they are further ahead in their development than Juventus.
“They didn’t do anything wrong.”
Conte drew criticism from some Inter supporters before the match after his effusive praise for Juventus during his pre-match press conference, arguing the Bianconeri were still the reference point for every other team aspiring to win the Serie A title.
Bergomi defended the former Chelsea boss for his comments before giving Conte some advice for future interviews.
“The comments about Juventus are fine but the fans want to see Inter’s DNA, that’s what they want to hear,” he said.
“OK, Juventus are still the reference, we’ve understood, but now he needs to embody the spirit of Inter and strengthen it even further.
“You can’t sign any players in January? It doesn’t matter, your players are the best in the world.
“That’s how he needs to think.”
Inter’s next match in Serie A takes them to the Dacia Arena on Saturday, where they will face struggling Udinese.
The Nerazzurri are level on points with league leaders AC Milan but Stefano Pioli’s side could re-establish their three-point lead when they play Cagliari tonight.
