Inter Milan manager Cristian Chivu explained his decision to stick with a 3-5-2 formation in tonight’s Champions League triumph over Ajax.
Speaking to Sky Sport via FCInterNews, the 44-year-old also heaped praise on prodigious striker Francesco Pio Esposito.
Despite missing Lautaro Martinez due to a minor injury problem, Inter got their European season off to a dream start.
Indeed, Marcus Thuram shrugged off recent criticism to deliver a ‘Man of the Match’ performance in Amsterdam.
The 28-year-old center-forward scored on either side of halftime to inspire the Nerazzurri to a 2-0 victory.
Meanwhile, Francesco Pio Esposito filled the void in attack, taking El Toro’s place next to the French superstar.
Although he failed to score on his Champions League debut, the 20-year-old showed signs of his talent.
Furthermore, Cristian Chivu opted for a 3-5-2 setup, even though he vowed to switch to a 3-4-2-1 before the season started.
Cristian Chivu Delivers Verdict on Ajax 0-2 Inter Milan Win
“We were close, today the boys showed maturity,” Chivu said after the match. “We tried to take away Ajax’s strengths, pressed them high, and denied them possession.
“And we had the courage and desire to stay in their half. The maturity shown tonight really pleases me.”
Then, he hailed Esposito.
“You saw it yourselves. As I’ve already said, he’s a striker that both the Italian national team and Inter will enjoy for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Chivu’s former teammate, Goran Pandev, asked him about the formation.
“You’ve become a journalist now,” the Romanian replied. “Yes, I wanted to play 3-5-2 because I didn’t want to take away certainties.
“We only needed to change a few things and add a couple more, while regaining confidence and the mental side, which is very important.
“I’m not stupid; I stick to my path and my convictions, without causing damage to a team that was already strong.”
A tale of two halves in this match really.
Well this result buys you some time, your plan is a mystery so we’ll see where it goes. There was a chance of things going from bad to worse today and he kept Inter’s caliber in europe intact. So a test passed. Now hopefully some consistency. Even though the guy is clearly learning.
it’s will be shaky season, he shake this team to play more in opponents half wich is different from what Inzaghi inter did. But the team is progressing well and I hope this trend will continue till many years.
yes, we are pressing high, without boring passes to Sommer.
we are still struggling to heal from Brozo syndrome