Hakan Calhanoglu insists Inter have ‘the same hunger and desire to win,’ while Matteo Darmian warns ‘confirming yourself at the top is even tougher’ for the Scudetto holders.
The reigning Champions of Italy had a rough start to the season, held 2-2 by Genoa at Marassi, but got their first win by beating Lecce 2-0 this evening at San Siro.
It took an early Darmian header and Calhanoglu penalty to secure the three points, even without injured captain and star striker Lautaro Martinez.
Calhanoglu and Darmian have faith in Inter
“We have the same hunger and desire to win,” Calhanoglu told Sky Sport Italia.
“Details make the difference at this level, it was very hot today, but with determination and the right mentality, we can keep going forward.”
It is far from the usual Inter performance seen in their dominant 2023-24 campaign, but the Turkey international is confident they will get there.
“Those who went on international duty returned late, we only had a few weeks of pre-season training, but we’ll get there slowly.”
Darmian was named Man of the Match by the Lega Serie A and noted how the pressure is on Inter now to defend their title, especially after years of the Scudetto constantly changing hands.
“I always said, winning is never easy, but confirming yourself at the top is even tougher. We had taken the lead against Genoa and were unable to get the three points, so we absolutely needed to make up for that tonight in front of our fans,” Darmian told Sky Sport Italia.
It is notable that when new signings take the headlines, old guard figures like the Italian continue to form the core of the squad.
“What I try to do is ensure I am ready, the secret is in the group dynamic. There’s a lot of competition at a club with the history of Inter, but it’s healthy competition and forces everyone to give their best.”