Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni feels that this evening’s 1-0 win over Juventus in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals can be an important milestone for the Nerazzurri to become a great team.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster SportMediaset after the match, via FCInterNews, the 23-year-old gave his reaction to a match which saw the Nerazzurri reach the final of the Coppa Italia for the second season running.
Inter have booked their place in the Coppa Italia final.
It was never going to be easy coming up against a Juventus side who had beaten the Nerazzurri twice in the league and made their lives difficult in the first leg of the cup semifinal.
However, it was an assured performance by Inter, who looked solid defensively throughout and were good value for their one-goal advantage on the balance of the chances that they created.
Now, Inter have the chance to go and defend their Coppa Italia title from last campaign against one of Fiorentina or Cremonese.
It hasn’t been the most straightforward of seasons by any means for the Nerazzurri, but they have shown once again that on the biggest stage they can be at their best to rise to the occasion.
Asked if there’s a secret to Inter’s performances in the cup competitions, Bastoni replied that “More than a secret, it’s our desire to achieve great things and fight together.”
“When the forwards defend with the rest of the team, and the midfield stays compact, everything becomes easier, we become a great team and it’s difficult to beat us.”
“Juve are one of the teams who have caused the most problems for us, but we saw what needed to be done and we did it,” Bastoni added.
Of the fact that the Nerazzurri needed to suffer a bit in the end, Bastoni said “Yes, like against Benfica in the Champions League, and as there will be from this point on until the rest of the season.”
“Now we have to focus on the league,” he added, “we’ve dropped a number of points and so our focus has to be there.”