Inter assistant coach Massimiliano Farris is glad that his team managed to earn a draw despite going behind early in this evening’s head-to-head clash with Scudetto rivals Napoli in Serie A.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster DAZN after the match, Fattis emphasized that the team showed character to get a result after a difficult start to the match.
Farris took charge of the game with head coach Simone Inzaghi serving a one-match touchline suspension, and he had to watch on as his side conceded an early penalty to put their hopes of getting anything from the match in some jeopardy.
However, the Nerazzurri came out with a different attitude in the second half, and almost immediately levelled the scoreline with a well-taken Edin Dzeko after the ball fell his way inside the penalty area.
Farris said that “The second half said a lot about the mentality of this team. In the first half they put us under a lot of pressure, they showed great energy driven on by a great crowd.”
“We did well to quiet their enthusiasm and also quiet their fans,” he added. “The point is fine but we also created enough to win it.”
“Their tactical change to five at the back was a sign of retreat,” he added, “while we still had gas left in the tank. We had played in the derby and then the Coppa Italia, they had all week to prepare for the match.”
He added that “I won’t discuss the penalty, but we did well to get back in it and showed good management of the ball.”
On the upcoming suspensions of Nicolo Barella against Liverpool and Marcelo Brozovic against Sassuolo, he stated that “The suspensions of Barella and Brozovic make it easier for us to rotate, as they will each get a chance to rest.”
Of the excellent recent form by Denzel Dumfries the coach said that “Dumfries arrived from another league and was labelled as a struggling player, but then he applied himself to learn the language, learn the tactics, and to understand the movements he needed to make.”
On the fact that the Nerazzurri didn’t make any substitutions until the 82nd minute, Farris explained that “The team was keeping up well. And then we in the coaching staff keep analyzing the situation.”
“Sanchez waited at least five minutes before coming on,” he pointed out, with Alexis Sanchez having had to wait for a stoppage in play, “but I think the team always conducted themselves correctly.”
On the tactical approach, he explained that “We had prepared for the game trying to always have a wing-back as an out-ball so that we could avoid dropping too deep.”
“In reality we struggled in the first half, especially Dumfries who had Insigne to mark,” he continued. “Then he and Perisic started getting up more, and Barella and Calhanoglu found it easier to get the ball to their teammates.”
“This meant that their midfielders tired more quickly than ours,” he added.
Asked if he thought striker Lautaro Martinez has room to improve, Farris stated that “The talent is there, time is on his side also because he’s only 24.”
“Now he finds himself in an important position at Inter, which he deserves,” he continued. “I think his strength is the ability to execute difficult skills.”
“He still has more to refine in his understanding with Dzeko but time is on his side,” he added of Martinez, “he is one of our leaders on the pitch.”
