Five lessons from Inter Milan versus AC Milan
As if Milan’s situation couldn’t get much worse, they are currently just five points above the relegation zone following yet another poor performance. The lone goal in the storied Derby Della Madonnina went to Inter, their city rivals, and it was a superb backheel from Rodrigo Palacio.
It had all the aggressiveness, tension, and frantic aspect that characterises two clubs frantically attempting to move up that Serie A table that we’ve become accustomed to from this bitter rivalry. Sulley Muntari’s red card for dragging down Inter player Zdravko Kuzmanovic brought up a near-brawl that terminated the game. One of the best platforms to watch the live matches is cakhia tv.
Here are five things we discovered after watching this historic Italian derby:
Press the panic button, Milan
Seventeen matchdays and 19 points. This statistic is often reserved for teams like Bologna or Chievo rather than a group with Milan’s reputation and potential. This drastically underperforming team mainly consists of the same players from the squad that finished third in Serie A last year.
The fact that now the Rossoneri are 5 points just above the drop zone makes the situation much more unpleasant. Fortunately, the Jan transfer market will soon open, and Milan will likely have a very different team when they played again in 2014.
Back in the Top Five: Inter
Hellas Verona had the potential to overtake Inter until their victory against Milan returned them to the top five. Inter emerged as the team with the most potent goal-scoring ability in a game that included frantic fouling, constant jeers, and fierce tenacity. Except for Palacio, they often attacked Christian Abbiati’s goal and made incredible saves from the bald Rossoneri goalie.
The Nerazzurri are now five points off a Champs League qualifying position in third place in Serie A, providing them with a much-needed advantage in luring top free signings.
An additional experimental lineup
The dramatic formation changes that Milan trainer Massimiliano Allegri makes throughout the season’s pivotal matches are one thing we have become used to witnessing from him. In a game of this significance, it is perplexing to start Riccardo Saponara. Although the choice may be justified considering Alessandro Matri was another option, it would force the team to play their seldom used 4-3-2-1 configuration, sometimes referred to as the Christmas tree shape that Carlo Ancelotti became fond of that during his tenure with Milan.
It’s hardly surprising that the squad often presents a messy appearance, given that they must master a new tactical formation every weekend. To be fair to Milan, they have been the superior side for the game’s opening hours, but in the end, the three points are all that matter.
Balotelli Must Continue Sleeping
There was undoubtedly nothing to celebrate during the Derby Della Madonnina, so interpret Mario Balotelli’s sarcastic smirk in the picture above. Although Balotelli is fouled more often than other attackers, he has a bad habit of frequently falling to the ground in search of the foul. In other cases, a counter-attack may have continued if he hadn’t collapsed to the floor like a bag of potatoes.
Additionally, it has led to an obvious instance of The Boy That Cried Wolf since officials in Italy and around Europe are scared of Super Mario’s dives and are reluctant to declare a foul when he falls to the ground, particularly in the penalty area.
Changes Made by Walter Mazzarri Worked Wonders
The Serie A game’s outcome was altered by Walter Mazzarri’s choice to insert Mateo Kovacic, a young player. In only a few minutes, the disappointed Saphir Taider had accomplished more than the Croatian No. #10 had during the whole game. Although Kovacic has received criticism for not looking in the net more frequently, he is tough to knock off the ball and has outstanding ball skills, twisting and turning opponents to find the correct pass.
This should show that Kovacic deserves a spot in the starting lineup every week, particularly for the season’s marquee games.
