Another Champions League match, another night of misery. So many passionate Inter fans wondering if Conte is the right man for the job.
Can Inter still qualify for the next round? Can this team string some impressive performances together and go on a winning run?
Let’s dissect further to see where things need to improve.
Our opponent and the way to break them down –
Real Madrid are obviously not the same opponent they would’ve been three years ago. Offensively still very strong, but defensively they looked very fragile at times.
The long ball worked a treat for Conte’s men, as we saw Ramos and Varane defending very far apart from each other. This would allow Inter to latch onto a few poorly headed clearances, with plenty of attacking players in the vicinity.
Coming behind from 2-0 down to make it 2-2 in the 68th minute, we thought Inter might finish the game stronger. However, a few brilliant substitutions from Zidane, and a few poor substitutions from Conte would change the tide. As we know the game ended 3-2 with the substitutions making their mark on the end result.
A game to suit him –
For the first time we would see a very open-minded attacking game from both teams, where there was so much space in the midfield. Finally an opponent who would bring the game to Inter.
If Christian Eriksen ever had the perfect opportunity to shine in an Inter jersey, this would’ve been it. The way this game was played, I’m pretty confident we would’ve seen a world class player show his class.
Since Conte didn’t even play Eriksen today, you can be pretty confident the Eriksen will be looking for a new club come January. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality right now.
All speed, no finesse –
Hakimi didn’t have the same potency, with Mendy defending him very well with speed taking on speed. Inter was very wasteful at times, and this was seen majorly from Hakimi in moments.
Especially when a back pass to Handanovic didn’t hit it’s mark and Benzema intercepted for the first goal. Fantastic finish from Benzema to be fair.
On another opportunity, Hakimi just had to play short to Lautaro on the break, and we most likely see a goal from Lautaro. Instead the ball went to far and Perisic was unable to really do anything constructive with the pass.
We might’ve hyped this guy up a bit too much, with myself admittedly being one of the culprits.
Conte Out?
Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. This campaign has been disastrous to say the least, as we expected this Inter team to be performing better.
Is it the coaches fault? Is it the team letting us down? I have to say it’s both.
Conte can’t finish some easy chances that our players have missed in previous games. He also can’t control some of the refereeing blunders we have been struck with. However, some of our formations and tactics have been completely off the mark.
Up until the substitutions, I thought Conte did a great job today. The team was the correct one to start, and all the players did their jobs well. That is where we will stop, subbing Barella off for Gagliardini was the worst thing to do.
Barella is an energizer bunny, and he will run himself into the ground for 90 minutes. He was the glue in the midfield, so removing him from there brought us unstuck. Conte needed to keep his trust in the team who brought us back level on the scoreboard.
Just because we have substitutions, it doesn’t actually mean we need to use them if we are playing well as a team.
Where to next?
Inter will get a few days of rest, before traveling to Bergamo for an away fixture verse Atalanta. This will be tricky, as Atalanta are coming off an absolutely drubbing from Liverpool where they lost five goals to nil at home.
Let’s be hopeful that Inter can get a win, as we really need to start hitting our straps and show some sort of motivation.
