Inter beat Juventus 1-0 on Wednesday and Lorenzo Bettoni at San Siro picks out three things you may have missed by watching the game on TV.
The Nerazzurri have qualified for the Coppa Italia Final for the second time in a row under Simone Inzaghi thanks to an early goal from Federico Dimarco in the first half. Inter’s dominance was evident to everyone, but there is something you may have missed by watching the game on TV. Here’s what.
Chiesa-Di Maria frustration
The Argentinean and Italian stars started up front for the Old Lady with Arek Milik initially on the bench, Dusan Vlahovic and Moise Kean injured. Allegri hoped that counter-attacks conducted by Fede and El Fideo would cause trouble to Inter, but that’s not exactly what happened.
The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star often spoke to his Italian teammate during the game, especially in the first half, suggesting the best position to receive the ball and press Inter’s defenders, but Allegri’s tactics didn’t work out. Both players struggled out of position and although Chiesa’s commitment was evident, he did not hide his frustration when noticing most of his teammates failed to press Inter defenders and midfielders as he did. He looked exhausted in the second half and quickly returned inside the tunnel after the final whistle, while circa 10 of his teammates waved at travelling fans and Inter celebrated under the Curva Nord.
From protests to joy
Inter’s ultras in the Curva Nord provided a vital push during the game, although the start hadn’t been promising. They had, in fact, removed banners from the Curva during the warm-up in protest against high ticket prices for the upcoming Champions League fixtures against Milan.
However, their demonstration didn’t last long. Banners and flags quickly appeared again in the Curva immediately before kick-off and Nerazzurri fans never stopped supporting their players against one of their harshest rivals. They also sent several messages to players as well as coach Simone Inzaghi. They exposed a banner for veteran Samir Handanovic, who is expected to leave at the end of his contract in June, praising him for his ‘sense of belonging’ and sang for Danilo D’Ambrosio, also likely to walk out of the Stadio Meazza in June, and Dimarco, a product of the club’s academy and a die-hard supporter of the team.
Allegri’s advice
Tension in the Bianconeri’s faces was visible even from the press box at the Stadio Meazza. Mattia De Sciglio, who struggled for most of the game against Dimarco, looked furious in the second half when he committed a foul close to the touchline. He went face-to-face with one of Stefano Doveri’s assistants, so the referee had to intervene.
MDS was lucky to avoid a yellow card, also thanks to the prompt arrival of Allegri. The Bianconeri boss left his technical area and walked for a few meters towards his defender, urging him to go away and stop complaining to avoid further punishment. Allegri really looked like a father talking to his son and this is even more true knowing the special connection between the defender and the Tuscan tactician. Allegri was apparently not as calm a few minutes later when he reportedly insulted Inter directors inside the tunnel, telling them that they “would finish sixth anyway.”
@lorebetto