Inter coach Simone Inzaghi has stressed an upbeat message in his speech to the squad ahead of tomorrow evening’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg match against Benfica.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who report that the coach put his focus on the positive aspects of recent performances and having faith that the goals will come if the team keep creating chances.
There is little doubt that, if Inter are not in full-on crisis mode going into tomorrow’s match at the Estadio da Luz, they are very close to it.
Recent dropped points in Serie A have become a massive problem, as the only goal that the team have scored from open play in more than five hundred minutes of open player, Robin Gosens’s early opener against Salernitana on Friday, was quickly followed by numerous missed opportunities and then the concession of a late equalizer.
The fact that the team have been so profligate with their chances has certainly been a problem.
If Inter are to finish their opportunities at the same rate against Benfica as they have been doing in recent matches, then there is little hope that they will progress to the semifinals of the Champions League.
However, for his part Inzaghi has wanted to emphasize the reasons for optimism.
Even though all the missed chances have certainly appeared to be a mental block at times, the overall quality of the performances has still been at a high level
Accordingly, the Gazzetta reports, Inzaghi has told his squad that they have to remain confident and back themselves to keep creating good chances.
If there is this kind of continued confidence, the coach has told his players, then there will be the conditions to start scoring again, at a point in the season where things are getting do-or-die, starting with the Champions League tomorrow.