Federico Dimarco believes that it is vital that Inter Milan don’t get their initial approach wrong against Atletico Madrid.
Speaking in a press conference, as reported by FCInterNews, the 26-year-old stressed getting off to the right start in tomorrow evening’s Champions League round of sixteen second leg.
Tomorrow evening, Inter take on Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.
It could well be one of the most important matches in both teams’ seasons.
Inter will know that they have the advantage. The Nerazzurri won the first leg of the tie 1-0 in Milan.
But that is as slender a lead as it gets. One slip-up would be all it takes to allow Atletico a route straight back into the tie, and seriously jeopardize Inter’s place in the quarterfinals.
That is certainly what the La Liga side will be hoping for.
And Atletico will be looking to put the pressure on Inter. They will have little choice but to play proactively given the situation in the tie after the first leg.
For that reason, it will be vital for Inter to play with the right mindset, focus, and tactical setup, right from the off.
Dimarco: Inter Can’t Have Wrong Approach Vs Atletico Madrid
Inter wingback Dimarco said of Atletico that “We know how strong they are. We know their history in the Champions League.”
“We will go out onto the pitch to play a match like in the first leg,” he continued.
“We’re prepared for it. We had the fans behind us at the San Siro, but they’re strong at their home because the fans push so hard behind them.”
Dimarco anticipated that “It will be a tough match, just like all the others.”
“We have the smallest advantage possible. So we know that we can’t approach the match the wrong way.”
As far as his form this season, Dimarco said that “I’m happy for myself. But above all for the team.”
And as far as the significance of playing away in Madrid, the 26-year-old said that “I think the difficulty of matches in the Champions League only changes relatively when it’s home or away.”
“You need the same mentality,” Dimarco said.
“We have the desire to go all the way,” Dimarco said of Inter’s Champions League ambitions.
“And what we’re doing in the league remains there in the background. But here, everything gets reset. We’ll have to play our game.”
