Inter will be relying on getting the midfield balance right against Porto in the Champions League tomorrow, with the energy of Nicolo Barella and the technical quality of Hakan Calhanoglu set to be key.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who predict that the duo will start alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan and that they will try to overrun the Portuguese champions centrally.
Porto will hardly be an easy side to get the better of in midfield, as Sergio Conceicao’s side have shown a real knack for switching between 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 systems to prevent even the best opposition from getting into their rhythm centrally.
However, in the form of Barella, Inter could have the ideal player to counteract Porto’s gameplan.
The 26-year-old’s energy, physicality, and ability to keep hold of the ball could prove to be vital in taking Porto players out of the game.
Moreover, the Gazzetta predicts, Barella’s propensity to make late runs into goalscoring and assisting positions is likely to be something that the Nerazzurri look to use to bypass Porto’s midfield.
Calhanoglu will be equally important, the newsppaer suggests.
The former AC Milan midfielder has become a player at the heart of the Nerazzurri’s possession game in midfield, with his composure and vision on the ball particularly vital to the team ticking over.
For the Gazzetta, Calhanoglu playing at his best would be key to Inter not getting unsettled by Porto’s midfield approach, as the Turk can be the player to keep the ball away from the Portuguese side and find his teammates in space.
Along with the energy and technical quality of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, this has been Inter’s first-choice midfield trio for much of the season, and particularly in the Champions League where all three were outstanding in two matches against Porto.
According to the Gazzetta, it is unlikely to be an approach that gets tinkered with too much for tomorrow’s massively important match.