Inter Milan Close To “Date With Destiny” In Champions League As Simone Inzaghi Defies Critics With Masterclass Vs Benfica

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi has his team on the verge of a “date with destiny” in the Champions League after defying all the criticism and negative energy that has come about from a bad recent run in Serie A.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who suggest that the 47-year-old has silenced all his critics and cast the dark clouds away with another defiant performance on the biggest stage against Benfica.

Inzaghi had already had an emerging reputation as a “cup coach” who is always good value in the big one-off matches based on his work with Lazio, with whom he won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana twice, also reaching the Champions League knockout rounds.

This reputation has really been set in stone since the 47-year-old made the switch from the Biancocelesti to Inter.

Last season Inzaghi came under fire for missing out on the league to AC Milan from what looked like a strong position, but won the Supercoppa and the Coppa Italia, whilst he also guided the Nerazzurri to the Champions League knockouts for the first time in over a decade just as he had done with Lazio.

This season, the Gazzetta notes, it looks to be more of the same from Inzaghi.

Whilst the team’s form in the league has been anything but consistent, culminating in their run of four matches without a win in Serie A recently, they can always be counted on for a good showing in the Champions League.

This was certainly the case yesterday evening, as the Nerazzurri kept yet another European clean sheet and repeated their heroics from against Barcelona and Porto.

Now, whilst Inter will not be taking for granted that the job is done with an entire second leg to go, they could be forgiven for feeling that the semifinals are now well within their reach.

If the Nerazzurri can finish the job against Benfica at the San Siro next week, then they’ll have either a two-legged Milan derby in store for the next round, or the chance to knock Napoli out of Europe’s top club competition as some measure of revenge for how the Partenopei have humiliated them in the league.

Then, Inter could dream of an appearance in the biggest match in European club football in the final, and if they get that far, who knows.

For the Gazzetta, Inzaghi has proven once again that even if there are kinks to be worked out with his coaching on a week-to-week basis as exposed by the team’s failings in the league, when “destiny” is in the air he always shows his best.