Italy legend Marco Tardelli explains why Inter are the best team in Serie A and can surprise ‘arrogant’ Liverpool in the Champions League. ‘Their fouls against Tottenham would lead to 10-match bans in Italy.’
The Nerazzurri have been crowned Winter Champions in Serie A, leading the table at the midway stage of the season, thanks to their four-point advantage over Milan and Napoli.
They are also in the Champions League Round of 16, where they will face Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in February.
“I hear people say that Liverpool are unplayable, but no team is, especially against this Inter side,” 1982 World Cup winner Tardelli told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“The important thing is that Inter play with this same hunger and desire to play football. They need a different level of intensity with Liverpool and also a better rapport with the referee.
“The fouls that Liverpool players did against Tottenham yesterday, they’d have received a 10-match ban in Italy…
“Besides, Liverpool are almost arrogant in the way they play, all too aware of how strong they are and the protection that they enjoy.”
Tardelli is impressed with Inter and their performances in Serie A, especially after rotating the squad under Simone Inzaghi.
“Inter are comfortably the strongest team in Italy and they have shaken off the stress they had before. It wasn’t easy to reboot without Romelu Lukaku, Achraf Hakimi, Christian Eriksen and Antonio Conte, but Inzaghi is immediately credible.”