Marcello Lippi believes the Milan derby ‘has perhaps come too soon’ for both teams.
Inter and Milan have both invested heavily in their squads this season, but the former Nerazzurri Coach explains that both will need time to gel.
“After what they’ve spent I think they’ll be strong in the second half,” Lippi explained, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The derby has perhaps come too soon. But the fact the teams are still under construction could become a good excuse in case of defeat.
Marcello Lippi believes the Milan derby ‘has perhaps come too soon’ for both teams.
Inter and Milan have both invested heavily in their squads this season, but the former Nerazzurri Coach explains that both will need time to gel.
“After what they’ve spent I think they’ll be strong in the second half,” Lippi explained, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The derby has perhaps come too soon. But the fact the teams are still under construction could become a good excuse in case of defeat.
“Inter? I really like [Ivan] Perisic. And Icardi is a great striker. Inter have started well, they’ve already but six points between themselves and Juventus, it’s a good boost of self-esteem.
“Stevan Jovetic? He’s a great talent, but at [Manchester] City he hardly played. It’s confirmation that our football isn’t at the level of the best in Europe.”
What does the former Italy CT think about the red and black half of the city?
“I have confidence in [Coach Sinisa] Mihajlovic. He’s a pure one, a real one. I’d advise the Milan players to be in tune with their Coach. I say this for their own good.
“I don’t see weaknesses in the Rossoneri. The goalkeeper [Diego Lopez] is good, [Mattia] De Sciglio and [Luca] Antonelli do their job and [Alessio] Romagnoli doesn’t seem bothered by his hefty transfer fee.
“The lad has class. He could be the heir of the great Rossoneri defenders. In the middle of the park there’s [Nigel] De Jong, a talent like [Giacomo] Bonaventura, and I expect Mihajlovic to get the best from [Riccardo] Montolivo.
“Up-front, as well as [Carlos] Bacca and Luiz Adriano, there’s the unknown quantity of [Mario] Balotelli. No, not unknown.
“Mario will win this battle. Someone like him should be one of the top players in Italian football.”
Lippi was also asked for his analysis of some of the other Serie A teams, including another of his former clubs, Napoli, and new Coach Maurizio Sarri.
“When I was on the Partenopei bench, I started worse than Sarri,” Lippi revealed.
“I had no points after the first two games, but then I got to the UEFA Cup. We started with 25,000 fans at San Paolo, but by the fifth game it was 75,000.
“Sarri will give the team the balance it was lacking under [Rafa] Benitez, he’ll do well. Moreover, he has the likes of [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Marek] Hamsik, [Pepe] Reina and a many other top quality players.
“Lazio? They staked a lot on the Supercoppa and the Champions League play-off and it’s gone wrong, but I like [Coach Stefano] Pioli, he’ll find a solution.
“For Lazio, it’s crucial that they resolve [Lucas] Biglia’s contract situation quickly. I have a feeling that this story could create disharmony.
“Then there’s the mystery of Felipe Anderson. Last season he was ahead of everyone, now he’s struggling to dribble past an opponent.
“As for Fiorentina, [Paulo] Sousa loves pressing, and getting the ball forward quickly. We talked about it a lot at Juventus, where he was one of my best midfielders.
“He also has the advantage of being able to build on three years of good work by [Vincenzo] Montella. I’m really rooting for Pepito [Giuseppe Rossi], with the real Rossi, Fiorentina can aim high.
“The rest? I see a Torino side which is going against the grain, with a lot of good young Italians. The Granata are a team to follow with great affection.”