Inter coach Simone Inzaghi got more than a few things wrong in the Nerazzurri’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Udinese yesterday, but perhaps none moreso than two key second half substitutes.
This is the view in today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, who argue that the coach’s decision to remove Edin Dzeko from the pitch midway through the second half and the addition of Stefan de Vrij were the most fatal errors.
Dzeko was not exactly an obvious candidate to be taken off during the second half yesterday, as the Bosnian had been arguably the Nerazzurri’s brightest player in the final third and almost gotten himself on the scoresheet but for a narrow offside.
However, Inzaghi decided to replace the Bosnian with Joaquin Correa, and in doing so he deprived the team of a crucial reference point in attack, not coincidentally coming right as the attacking momentum they’d built up at the start of the half evaporated.
Meanwhile, de Vrij gave away the corner from which Udinese scored their winner, and then was the one whose lax marking allowed the free header that condemned the Nerazzurri to their third defeat of the season, all a couple minutes after coming on as a substitute.
