Inter have faced problems in possession this season, as their opponents have looked to closely mark key midfielder Marcelo Brozovic in order to negate his influence on the team.
This according to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, who highlight the tactical problem faced by Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi by the approach which is aimed at marking the Croat out of matches.
Brozovic has grown into one of the most vital players at the Nerazzurri, having come into his own under Luciano Spalletti before Antonio Conte made him the indisputable first-choice player in the deep midfield role on the way to the club’s first Scudetto in eleven years.
This has continued under Inzaghi, who has also relied on the 28-year-old’s influence in possession, but opposition managers have also taken note of the midfielder’s importance and tried to counteract his ability to control games.
As Tuttosport notes, the marking on Brozovic has been almost as tight as that which teams tend to put on opposition centre-forward and other major attacking threats, such is the Croat’s ability to affect games from midfield.
Brozovic has looked at his best at times during the season, but he has also struggled with the intense pressure at times, in which opponents have restricted him virtually to the point of having no options when he has the ball.
Inzaghi must recognize this issue and rectify it by modifying his team to give the Croat more support from all areas, with the assistance of fellow midfielders Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu particularly important in difficult situations.