Legendary former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi believes that his old side the Rossoneri were nothing more than a “sparring partner” to Inter in the derby yesterday.
Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, the former coach also suggested that the Nerazzurri once again showed that they struggled to kill off matches.
Going into yesterday evening’s match, the expectation was that the form of the two teams going into it would mean little and that both sets of players would be completely up for it and produce a typically dramatic derby clash.
Instead, it was Inter who looked like the team in the ascendancy for virtually the entire match, as their city rivals did not look capable of inclined to impose themselves on the match.
From Sacchi’s view, the Rossoneri put up nowhere near enough of a resistance to the Nerazzurri in the match.
“Milan no longer look like a team, especially in the first half,” the former coach argued.
“Inter were not playing against an opponent, but against a sparring partner.”
Sacchi went on that “Simone Inzaghi’s players are almost all of a very high level and they all have great experience.”
“It’s clear that if you rely on one-on-one matchups then you’re virtually beaten from the start,” the former coach continued.
“Inter can win when they play as a team,” Sacchi argued, “which Milan never did.”
“In the second half, the Nerazzurri managed the situation the way that they usually do,” he went on, “not as a team who try to kill matches, but trying to see the match out and risking giving the opponent some hope.”
“But Inter are in great form and this win will only give them enthusiasm and self-belief, which they can also carry over into the Champions League.”
Of the individual performances, Sacchi said that “Lautaro put in a great performance, his goal was excellent – he makes a perfect move, moves back to free himself from his marker, and gets good contact on the header.”
“And Barella was also good, who rarely drops his level.”
“But I have to emphasize, Inter played at a high level because Milan allowed them everything,” Sacchi concluded.
