Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni ‘often’ watches Man City games, especially Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji and admits he may ‘soon’ play with Giorgio Scalvini.
The Italy international released an interview with DAZN barely a week before the Champions League Final against Manchester City.
“One Final is different from any other game. Luckily we’ve played many of those over the last few years, winning some of them,” he said.
Simone Inzaghi has an almost perfect record in knock-out games and Liverpool have been the only team able to eliminate the Nerazzurri in these types of games since he replaced Antonio Conte in 2021.
“Normally, you’d expect tension before a Final, but he’s able to convey serenity to face these sorts of matches,” said Bastoni.
Inter went through tough times this season and have lost 11 games in Serie A, so how did they turn their fortunes around?
“The important thing is to have a solid group that does not fear facing problems, even clashing if necessary,” said Bastoni.
“It happens to the best families and this is what happened to us. We sat down and talked, trying to understand the problems.
“We were more attacking-minded [at the beginning of the season], perhaps we had forgotten the real tasks of a defender, so we focused on defending and then attacking; it’s all about balance.”
The Nerazzurri meet Torino on Saturday in the last Serie A game of the season, exactly one week before the Final in Istanbul.
“We are fit and confident. Surely the European derby with Milan was fundamental for us because we recharged. It was vital. We go to Istanbul with great confidence,” admitted Bastoni.
“I am calm. We live for football, but my philosophy is that we live in the real world with our family and parents, which are the essential things. Everyone dreams of playing these games. We are lucky to be in it and we must enjoy it.
“I appreciate Pep Guardiola so much also for how he makes defenders play,” the defender continued.
“I often watch Man City’s games. They don’t have many weak points. Up front, they have Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Haaland, De Bruyne, Grealish, Alvarez…they are scary as a team, but we must try to stop them.”
Bastoni also mentioned Ruben Dias and Akanji among his role models and invited Atalanta starlet Scalvini, a long-time target of the Nerazzurri, to join him at the Stadio Meazza.
“I like Scalvini, maybe, who knows, soon we’ll play together, here and with the national team,” concluded Bastoni.