Legendary former Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder feels that the current Nerazzurri team have a real chance in their Champions League tie against Liverpool.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, the 37-year-old highlighted the importance of Hakan Calhanoglu in particular in assessing his former side’s chances agaisnt the Reds.
Inter meet one of their most difficult opponents of the season so far, if not the most difficult outright, as they aim to go beyond the round of sixteen in Europe’s top competition.
There is little doubt that getting past the Reds will be an onerous task for the Nerazzurri, but Sneijder does not believe that it will be impossible, and he believes that this is thanks to the quality that they have.
“I talked to my Inter friends, I feel too much pessimism around this,” he said. “Let’s do this, I must say that Inter are strong, anything is possible, even eliminating Liverpool.”
The Dutchman compared this Nerazzurri team to the 2009-10 side which won the treble of which he was a part, noting that “The 2010 side had an unbelievable group.”
“It has never happened in my career anywhere else,” he went on, “a unity of purpose that can’t be repeated.”
“But otherwise, I see many similarities, the parallel can be drawn,” he added, “the great players, the strong mentality thanks to having already won the Scudeto, the enthusiasm. This is a beautiful team to behold.”
Sneijder predicted that “It will be a very intense, European-style match, Inter will have to do well in keeping up with the pace of Klopp’s team.”
“Liverpool have a more proven team, more accustomed to this type of match,” he continued. “Inzaghi has only been working since the beginning of the season. But his imprint is clear and decisive.”
On facing Chelsea and Barcelona as underdogs in 2010, the former midfielder reflected that “I used this trick, mentally I always approached them in the same way, by convincing myself that it could be the last chance, the last match in Europe for the season.”
“This freed me from the pressure in a way,” he added, “and pushed me to give my best.”
He elaborated that “If I could, I would recommend the same thing to today’s players. You need to go full throttle, while still keeping your head in it. Only then can you hope to make it.”
Of midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu’s role in the team compared to his own at Inter, Sneijder said that “I played differently, even if at times it seems that our role on the pitch is the same.”
“Hakan is one of the secrets of this Inter,” he went on, “I consider him a top player, he has the qualities to decide a game on his own. Liverpool will do well to watch him closely. On the other hand, let’s hope they don’t…”
Of the recent excellent form by Dutchman Denzel Dumfries at Inter, Sneijder said that “Those who are surprised perhaps don’t know him well.”
“He is one of the best players around in his position,” he continued, “he has played excellent games with the Netherlands.”
“You can see from a distance that he is a top player,” he added. “And you could see it before, he just had to adapt to Serie A. He will continue to surprise.”
And on the recent wobbles in form by defender Stefan de Vrij, Calhanoglu gave the view that “Do you know what his strength is? Professionalism. He’ll know before everyone else where he went wrong.”
“But he also knows that in football there can be ups and downs,” he added. “The important thing is to know how to manage them. And he’ll come out looking as much as top player as ever.”
