Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri got the better of a confused tactical approach by his Inter counterpart Simone Inzaghi to mastermind a statement win for the Biancocelesti in yesterday evening’s Serie A clash.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who argue that the Biancocelesti boss decisively got the better of the tactical battle with Inzaghi on the night.
Inzaghi seemed to have some clear ideas in yesterday evening’s match, including sacrificing some technical assurance in favour of more physicality and energy in midfield by leaving Hakan Calhanoglu out of the starting eleven for Roberto Gagliardini.
Meanwhile, the coach has clearly been tinkering with the team in wide areas as he searches for the right balance without Ivan Perisic in the team, starting out with a right-sided attack built around Denzel Dumfries before changing around at wingback to try and use Robin Gosens as an attacking weapon on the left.
In neither of these ideas was Inzaghi successful against his old side, however, as Sarri’s men held their own in the midfield battle from the start, with their possession game looking more fluid despite Gagliardini’s disruptive influence as the 28-year-old seemingly hindered his own team’s quality with the ball more than the Biancocelesti’s.
Sarri had faith that his tried and tested approach would work, which it largely did for an hour or so, and then when he needed an impact from the bench utilized Luis Alberto and Pedro.
The Spanish duo not only scored the Biancocelesti’s two goals but broadly made them look more incisive, whereas Inzaghi’s substitutions had just further caused his team to look bereft of an attacking identity.
There is little question that on the night, current Lazio coach Sarri deserved a lot more credit than the man he replaced last summer in the Italian capital Inzaghi.
