Espanyol star Marash Kumbulla defends his compatriot Kristjan Asllani who has been struggling to impress at Inter Milan as of late.

The Nerazzurri are enduring a rough patch. They recently exited the Coppa Italia after suffering a painful 0-3 defeat to arch-rivals AC Milan. They have also lost back-to-back contests in Serie A against Bologna and Roma, which allowed Napoli to overtake them.

But at least Simone Inzaghi’s men managed to return from Catalunya with a 3-3 draw against Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, in what was arguably one of the most thrilling contests of the season. The outcome of the Camp Nou clash sets the stage for an epic second leg at San Siro on Tuesday, so make sure to grab the best digital deal you can find in Sweden.

Many observers are partially attributing Inter’s problems to their backups who are are failing to live up to expectations while the regular starters are out.

This phenomenon has been particularly evident in the middle of the park. Hakan Calhanoglu has endured several physical issues this season, while Asllani has been unable to fill the void.

During Wednesday’s first leg clash against Barcelona, the Albanian was an unused substitute. Even when Inzaghi took off Calhanoglu, he decided to replace him with Davide Frattesi rather than the Albanian who is considered a like-for-like replacement for the Turkish Regista.

Marash Kumbulla Defends Inter Milan Star Kristjan Asllani

For his part, Kumbulla knows a thing or two about struggling for form and minutes at a top Serie A club.

The defender had a breakthrough campaign with Hellas Verona when he was still a teenager back in the 2019/20 campaign. This earned him a move to Roma in the summer of 2020.

But between injuries and stern competitions for places, he failed to fulfil his promise in the Italian capital.

Therefore, the 25-year-old believes that the dynamics might be playing against Asllani at Inter.

“Technically, he is very strong, but I don’t know. You need to know the internal dynamics at the club,” said the Espanyol defender in his interview with TuttoMercatoWeb via FcInterNews.

“I can give you an example about myself. When I didn’t play much and then I had the chance to start, I didn’t feel I was in my best condition.

“It’s a personal issue, but consistency helps you find confidence. This is especially true for a young guy like him or like me a few years ago.”