Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu has decided to start Ange-Yoan Bonny and Piotr Zielinski against Atletico Madrid. This evening’s Champions League Match Day 5 clash kicks off at 21:00 CEST at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Inter head into their fifth Champions League outing under Cristian Chivu off the back of a 1-0 loss to AC Milan in Sunday’s Serie A derby.
However, the San Siro giants boast a flawless four-game record at Europe’s top table this season.
Therefore, the Nerazzurri should take the field in high spirits, aiming to end a 12-game winless away streak against Spanish clubs.
However, Chivu has more than one injury concern, with several players struggling with injuries.
The absence of the starting wingback Denzel Dumfries is perhaps the most significant.
Atletico Madrid vs Inter Milan – Ange-Yoan Bonny Set For Another Champions League Start
Firstly, the big team news ahead of the match is that Ange-Yoan Bonny will make his first start in the Champions League.
The 22-year-old starlet has yet to find the net in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
However, he has been phenomenal in Serie A, scoring four goals and adding four assists in 12 league appearances.
Therefore, Bonny will be brimming with confidence as he replaces Marcus Thuram in the staring lineup.
Despite drawing a blank against the Rossoneri last weekend, Lautaro Martinez retains his place in the final third.
Cristian Chivu Puts Faith in Piotr Zielinski
Another couple of pre-match question marks surrounded the midfield and the right-hand side.
With Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella forging the backbone of Inter’s midfield, Chivu had a decision to make.
Indeed, the 45-year-old had to choose between Petar Sucic and Piotr Zielinski, opting for the latter to complete the midfield trio.
Therefore, Davide Frattesi starts on the bench again.
Meanwhile, on the right side, with Dumfries injured, Carlos Augusto returns to the starting lineup. Furthermore, Federico Dimarco starts on the left.
In defense, Yann Bisseck gets the nod in the starting XI ahead of Francesco Acerbi.
Therefore, the German defender overtakes Stefan de Vrij in the pecking order once again.
Finally, Manuel Akanji starts on the right side of the back three.
Official Starting Lineups – Atletico Madrid vs Inter Milan: Bonny Starts
ATLETICO MADRID (4-4-2): Musso; Molina, Gimenez, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Cardoso, Barrios, Baena; Alvarez, Griezmann.
Bench: Oblak, Esquivel, Lenglet, Pubill, Galan, Koke, Almada, Nico Gonzalez, Martin, Raspadori, Sorloth.
Coach: Simeone.
Suspended: none.
Unavailable: Le Normand, Llorente.
INTER (3-5-2): Sommer; Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni; Carlos Augusto, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Bonny, Lautaro.
Bench: Martinez, Calligaris, Acerbi, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto, Sucic, Frattesi, Diouf, Esposito, Thuram.
Coach: Chivu.
Suspended: none.
Unavailable: Di Gennaro, Darmian, Palacios, Mkhitaryan, Dumfries.
Referee: Letexier.
Assistants: Rahmouni and Mugnier.
Fourth official: Pignar.
Var: Delajod.
Avar: Tiago Martins.
A loss is always disappointing. But we create chances and really need to work on the efficiency. Seems like Augusto can’t figure out the right side, maybe we could try Frattesi there? We finally tried Basto-Akanji-Bisseck combo, what do you guys think about it?
Serie a teams and Italians can not play… As simple as that.. The staff and teams should go back and do a “self-reflection”.. That’s the first step, otherwise the league will keep going downhill… No UCL for at least 16 years… Ridiculous…
I think I brought this up before the season once, the goal of this year probably top 4 in the Serie A and top 16 in Champion league. So loss today is disappointing but really no need to be upset. Most players performed up to bar, only a few under par. Not bad game in general. Defense definitely needs fresh blood(from midfield to backline). When Miki and Chala on the field together, most of times we can have a really good pressure in the midfield, but sadly no one can fit Miki’s shoe. Sucic is good but Chivu doen’s play him with Chala together which is a questionable decision. But overall, look forward not backward. Hope get back to win over Pisa!
Lool Inter is not in a crisis (yet) so why are we on here acting like it’s the end of the world. I don’t want to go back to the past (ie Inzaghi’s 2023/24 season) but if most on here need their memory juggled I could. Chivu is doing a great job managing this team and I have complete faith in him. This team need their confidence back and their finishing touch. STOP PANICKING smh
Awaiting moderaton???
Really? Nima? Which word???
Lots of love from me buddy. Thats the attitude. Spread the love cause i gotta work tomorrow and a lot of the fellas here are all drama beyond the needed. Forza Inter brother.
It’s scandal how Frattesi moving in defencing phase and how he pressed so far away. He reminds me of Nagatomo style of play. For me the worst player tonight.
Nah that title goes to SUSIC. It was Augusto but in the second half he started to actually be positive and deliver crosses. But Susic was literally hiding from helping the team to score another goal on multiple occasions he showed no desire at all. Fratessi despite the hate did ok even tho was late to most things.Barella was man of the man because he never stopped playing
Our right side again is limping, no threats, bad defense. If we play Augusto on the right again vs liverpool they will eat us alive. Pisa should be a calculated win no matter who play.
Bonny is actually our best striker now and the one who can hold the ball and create threatening counter. He probably should have stayed. Pio – Thuram doesn’t look like a good pair.
Looserpool cant even eat a chewed up sandwich at this point. Fok em. Still hold a grudge for that card on sanchez. I hope we wreck them. Ivan showed us how its done today. Forza Inter
That was to be expected, I keep saying it the high press is killing us. The center backs were too tired to tired to close the game out. This stupid system does not work against good teams, it’s why we lost to Juve, Napoli, Milan, and now Atletico. We are just losing on the counter or teams just wait until we tire ourselves out.
You might be on to something. We might wanna play it smart vs strong teams. And we have a chance to try that vs looserpoolnext week. Forza Inter
It is most definitely not the high press… It’s our chance creation not actually being…. created. Our strikers can’t score. It’s as simple as that. and we don’t have dumfries
Think about man, we’re pressing teams in their half. Where will we find the space to create anything when we don’t have players that can dribble past them. None of our attackers or midfielders are good at dribbling past players and when we’re forcing them back, all they have to do is cut off passing lanes. All this does is force our center backs to run back for the counter attack. I get this is why Chivu wanted Lookman but we don’t have him so how can we keep this up?
This loss was actually very different to the ones you mentioned. But in all those matches it can said Inter could’ve also won all of them but that’s football and the way the team plays matters as well. Chivu is missing players for his system to work but you can’t say its not working
You’re right he’s missing players for the system he wants to play but I still don’t think trying to force it is works. All this does is lower the value of the players we want to sell in order to fund the players he actually wants.
But inter are playing dominating football and create a lot of chances that gives Inter a fighting chance.
I noticed Bastoni around the 90th minute had completely run out of energy. His face looked so tired.