Thanks to a Lukaku goal and assist, Inter now see themselves 11 points clear at the top of the table. Still nine matches to go, but we’re almost there.
A scrappy 2-1 victory over Sassuolo made it 10 victories in a row. Not the greatest showing, however the three points are the most important thing.
Can Inter wrap this up early? Or will it go down right to the last possible moment to break this Juventus title streak.
Let’s look a bit further into the match again Sassuolo.
The Heart and Soul –
I wish we had 11 players on the field with as much commitment and team spirit as Lukaku. He is the perfect team player, and without him I don’t know where Inter would be.
There have been occasions this season where Inter are getting dominated, yet Lukaku just finds a way to score a goal to get Inter on the front foot.
Today was no different, Inter were sitting on their heels and couldn’t put anything promising together. Here comes Lukaku to the rescue with a half chance and suddenly the score is 1-0 to Inter.
Half way through the second half, Lukaku would provide a fantastic assist for Martinez as LuLa linked up again. For the second time though, Inter scored a goal out of nowhere with Lukaku playing a pivotal role.
Romelu Lukaku has been the great success story of the Serie A season so far.
That missing link –
For two matches now, we have seen one of the back three out from the squad. First it was De Vrij against Bologna, and now it was Bastoni against Sassuolo.
The incredible depth of Inter saw Darmian take up a position in the back three in place of Ranocchia who filled in last start. In all honesty, Darmian played a great match and didn’t do too much wrong.
Matteo put his body on the line in every challenge, and gelled well with both Skriniar and De Vrij to ensure Inter would take all 3 points.
It will be good to have Bastoni back next match, so the strength of Inter’s defence is back to it’s full compliment.
Midfield worries –
Let’s be real, the depth of the midfield is a little worrying at times. With Brozovic out today, the tactic from Conte was to sit back and try to play on the counter.
As there was no real link between midfield and strikers, this defensive tactic from Conte really didn’t suit the likes of Eriksen. We know that Eriksen would rather an open field where he can play into space, but we just didn’t see that available.
It felt like Inter were cramped for room all over the park as Sassuolo seemed to press really well and also hold possession for long periods of time.
We know that when Brozovic is back, Conte will feel comfortable to play his normal tactics. However, moving into next season we may need to tweak a few things so we aren’t so heavily reliant on the likes of Brozovic in the midfield.
Where to next?
A couple of days rest for Inter before hosting Cagliari at home for a lunch time fixture. Another win will be expected for Inter, as the possible points count down before Inter can claim the title as their own.
Prediction: Inter 3-1
