Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella discussed the Nerazzurri’s 2-1 win over Sampdoria in an interview with Italian broadcaster InterTV after the game.
“Did I get kicked? It happened. Both teams were a bit tired in the final moments of the game, it’s fine that in a tackle one player arrives a bit late. It’s football.”
The 23-year-old Italian, who is contracted to the Milanese club until 2024, discussed how the squad need to find a way to close out games more comfortably, rather than letting them remain open until the final whistle.
“We should have tried to close it earlier. You have to close out these games. Bringing them all the way to the end can be dangerous. We were good at suffering like a great team. We’re happy with the result.”
The former Caligari midfielder talked about the role of Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen and how he has adjusted.
“We’ve been trying this for a long time to get Christian between the lines and get the ball to him. That’s what he can impact.”
Finally, Barella spoke about the teachings of coach Antonio Conte and how the Nerazzurri need the confidence to close out games before they become a problem.
“The coach is always telling us, we need to be more clinical in front of the goal and not only the strikers. All of us. We need to find even more confidence to close out the games earlier.”
Barella has impressed in his debut season with Inter under coach Antonio Conte this season. The 23-year-old Italian midfielder has made 31 appearances across all competitions so far this season, for a total of 2216 minutes. In that time, he has scored three goals and provided six assists.
