Inter coach Simone Inzaghi has received praise for his tactics and team selection in yesterday evening’s 1-1 Coppa Italia semifinal first leg draw against Juventus.
Today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who argue that the 46-year-old got it spot on and that he deserves full credit for a draw away at the Allianz Stadium that was the least that his team deserved.
Inzaghi will certainly have been feeling the pressure going into yesterday evening’s match, as the woeful recent run of form has led to a lot of speculation about the former Lazio coach’s future at Inter.
Whilst the club had no plans of sacking Inzaghi immediately, reports suggested that the coach could have just a little over a week to save his job.
Moreover, even if Inzaghi is to see out the season, it is possible that a change of coach could be on the cards for the summer.
Nerazzurri CEO Beppe Marotta weighed in yesterday, suggesting that whilst Inzaghi still has the backing and faith of the club, things could change if the team do not secure a place in next season’s Champions League and have to alter their financial strategy.
Amid this backdrop, a trip to Turin to face a Juventus team who had beaten Inter twice in the league without conceding will have appeared quite daunting to Inzaghi.
However, the coach gave his answer on the pitch, as Inter put in the kind of composed and aggressive display that they needed to to show that there’s still life after recent losses in the league.
Inzaghi went with experience, as players like Marcelo Brozovic, Matteo Darmian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Danilo D’Ambrosio, and Samir Handanovic had key roles to play.
Whilst the end result was a 1-1 draw, and that only came after a late penalty in a match that was marred in scandal, Inter’s performance was a good one in the view of the Gazzetta.
The newspaper commends Inzaghi for putting out a team that never crumbled or showed any signs of the pressure that has been looming over them.
