Yesterday evening’s 1-0 Champions League win over Barcelona was like a “breath of life” for an Inter team who badly needed it.
This is the assessment in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, who note that the Nerazzurri had looked like a team who needed to rediscover themselves going into yesterday’s match.
Inter’s stumble in form over the first few weeks of the season seemed to have many causes, from a teamwide incoherence in terms of style of play to a number of key players looking a long way from their best.
Against the Blaugranas, there could be little question of identity or style as the Nerazzurri adopted a compact and effective defensive shape that kept a clean sheet which has become something of a rarity so far in the campaign.
Moreover, on an individual level, the match saw many of the team’s most important players finally announce themselves for the season, particularly in the back three and the midfield.
The situation going into yesterday evening’s match was beginning to become dire, but now the feeling is that the team has oxygen in their lungs for the first time.