Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi feels that his side must be confident and build upon what they did with their 1-0 win over Napoli in Serie A.

Speaking to DAZN after the match, via FCInterNews, the coach gave his reaction to the match, and also singled out the performance of midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu for praise.

Inter will always have known that they were in for a tough ask in their return to Serie A action after 52 days away, facing league leaders the Partenopei.

However, Inzaghi’s team gave a great account of themselves on both sides of the ball, taking a 1-0 win and three precious points to reassert themselves as title contenders.

The coach was very pleased with what he saw from his team, although he was well aware that the work is nowhere near done and this must only be the start for them.

“We’ve won nine of our last ten [league] matches and played very well in the Champions League,” he emphasized, “where we did well to get out of the group.”

“In the league we dropped points early on, but there’s still a long way to go.”

“We have to focus on ourselves, one match at a time, trying to get all the players in the squad back and at their best.”

Inzaghi noted that “I hope Brozovic can return soon, playing every two and a half days will be tough for everyone.”

Of the display by midfielder Calhanoglu at the heart of the Nerazzurri’s midfield, the coach said that “After this kind of match, it’s difficult to single out just one player for praise.”

“This evening even the substitutes came on and contributed in the best way possible.”

“Calhanoglu gave a brilliant account of himself,” Inzaghi said of the 28-year-old. “we’ve tried to coach him into a new role, and he’s doing really well in it.”

“He did a great job, he had to keep Lobotka quiet and he did a great job of it, just like all the other midfielders did.”

Of striker Edin Dzeko, scorer of the match’s only goal, the coach said that “He’s in great form.”

“We’ve been together for a year and a half, he has technique, strength, many great qualities.”

“He’s giving us a lot in this intense fixture list, starting with beating Napoli who had been unbeaten until today.”

“I’m proud of my players who all helped each other out on the pitch.”

“We did all this in front of our wonderful fans,” Inzaghi continued.

“At the beginning I was curious about how it would go, but I always remained calm.”

Of the team’s tactical approach to beat the league leaders, the coach said that “Each match has its own story.”

“In the second part of the first half we lowered our defensive line, but it was ninety plus minutes of total concentration.”

“We could have scored in the first half,” Inzaghi noted, “but thanks to our own missed shots and the efforts of their goalkeeper, we were unable to do so.”

“It was a great accomplishment, beating Napoli must give us confidence going forward.”

Regarding the Serie A title race, the coach said that “There are still so many matches to go, and the World Cup break was something new for everyone.”

“We have to keep doing better, we can’t rely on the teams in front of us to slow down and we play every two and a half days.”