Marco Parolo was only joking when he asked Simone Inzaghi this question last December. “When you were coaching me at Lazio, you offered us players a dinner for the first goal that one wing-back made an assist and the other scored,” the former Italian international said in an interview after Inter’s home win over Udinese. “What are you trying to do now? A goal scored by a defender on one side of your back three and a goal scored by a defender on the other side?
The translation is a bit cumbersome. Parolo was comparing “un goal da quinto a quinto” to “da terzo a terzo” in Italian, but English offers no equivalent of this brief reference to footballers’ “fifth” and “third” positions. It was the feeling that mattered. Parolo, like the rest of us, was amazed by the fluidity of the Internazionale team; Here it may appear that every player, except the goalkeeper, has permission to participate in the attack.
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On Saturday, Parolo’s vision came true. In the 37th minute of Inter’s match in Bologna, Alessandro Bastoni, who started on the left of Inter’s back three, came forward to support the wing-back just outside the opponent’s penalty area. Carlos Augusto passed the ball back to him, Bastoni crossed for the first time and Inter’s right winger in this game, Yann Bisseck, headed in at the far post.
The most improbable part was that none of this seemed improbable. Bastoni has been taking these positions and playing these crosses all season long. Bisseck, who was transferred from Aarhus, Denmark, last summer, described himself in his opening speech as “a modern defender who likes to play on the ball and score goals”. He opened his account with the club with a goal against Lecce in December; He also hit the post with a volley in this match.
There may not be a better club in Europe right now for a player with this mentality to develop. Even describing Inzaghi’s football as “modern” feels harsh, as it would mean that clubs are embracing a broader trend of such a fluid approach to what formations can be. Where else can a young defender feel strong enough to attack, knowing that his colleagues will fill the void he leaves?
This may be Inter’s first and last goal, but the principles that make it possible have been in development for months. This was demonstrated in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 match against Atlético Madrid when Stefan de Vrij, from the center of the back three, raced beyond the Spanish club’s defense and almost set up Marcus Thuram for the opening goal. barely a quarter of an hour.
Inter’s 1-0 win in the Derby d’Italia last month was sealed in part by an own goal from another defender, Benjamin Pavard, after a scissor volley in the Juventus penalty area. The Frenchman failed to connect but his movement caused the defender behind him to misread the flight of the ball as it bounced off Federico Gatti.
This points to another outstanding feature of Inzaghi’s Inter: the interchangeability of so many different players. Bastoni and Pavard are the first choice players on the left and right of the defence, but Bisseck and Matteo Darmian provide good cover. De Vrij and Francesco Acerbi can switch places in the center without hesitation.
The same goes for wing-back positions. Denzel Dumfries and Darmian offer horses for right-side track options: the latter is a more diligent defender, but the former is a greater attacking threat. Federico Dimarco has become an elite player on the left wing, but Carlos Augusto has progressed so quickly since joining from Monza that Inzaghi can now rest the Italian without any worries.
Saturday’s game was an example of this; The trip to Bologna represented the toughest challenge Inter could find domestically. Thiago Motta’s team rose to fourth in the table with six wins, including away games against Lazio and Atalanta. They had not lost at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara since August.
This was not a very important match for Inter. Already 15 points clear at the top of Serie A, they could be excused for prioritizing play against Atlético in this week’s second leg, with Inzaghi making six changes to the starting 11 that beat Genoa five days earlier.
However, Inter could score a few goals before Bisseck broke the deadlock. Alexis Sánchez made a save from a tight angle in the 10th minute, Darmian scored in the 15th minute and Nicolò Barella made a one-on-one play in the 21st minute. Lewis Ferguson set Yann Sommer into action at the other end with a long-range shot but Inter held good value for the half-time lead.
Inzaghi’s team came forward further in the second half and challenged Bologna to more than perhaps they should have. Still, Sommer only needed to make one more save after the break, and it was a routine save. He has kept 23 clean sheets in all competitions so far.
Parolo wasn’t there to remind Inzaghi of his speeches full-time, but after the game another interviewer stepped in to ask if he planned to buy any food to celebrate the terzo a terzo goal. “More than one!” said the manager. “It’s hard to find a free day to plan dinner right now, but we’ll find the time.”
The moment of celebration will come very soon. Juventus’ draw with Bologna on Sunday meant Inter increased their advantage at the top of the league to 16 points. The possibility that they can secure the title against rivals Milan next month is starting to look realistic. With both teams equal on 19 Serie A wins, it could be the climax of the race to see which of the city’s football cousins will be first to wear a second gold star on their club badge.
Inzaghi said again on Saturday that this Scudetto is not in the bag yet. It’s a claim that’s hard to take seriously. Inter have won 13 consecutive matches in all competitions and are on course for over 100 points. They score goals with combinations that once seemed like jokey exaggerations.
The Champions League is another matter and even if Inter have a one-goal advantage, they can take nothing for granted heading into Madrid. Parolo told Dazn: “I think Inter could get to 50-50 with any of the big clubs in Europe. [Manchester] City.” Even then, we might quietly add, this Inter team is better than the one that gave the Premier League champions a substantial lead in the final last year.
Serie A results
Napoli 1-1 Torino, Sassuolo 1-0 Frosinone, Cagliari 4-2 Salernitana, Bologna 0-1 Inter, Genoa 2-3 Monza, Lecce 0-1 Verona, AC Milan 1-0 Empoli, Juventus 2-2 Atalanta, Fiorentina 2-2 Rome
|
Exposure |
Set |
P. |
G.D. |
Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
one |
Inter Milan |
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|
2 |
AC Milan |
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|
3 |
Juventus |
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|
4 |
Bologna |
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|
5 |
Novel |
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|
6 |
Atalanta |
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|
7 |
Naples |
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|
8 |
Fiorentina |
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|
9 |
Lazio |
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|
10 |
monza |
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|
11th |
Turin |
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|
12 |
Genoa |
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|
13 |
Verona |
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|
14 |
Cagliari |
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|
15 |
Lecce |
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|
16 |
empoli |
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|
17 |
Udinese |
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|
18 |
frozinon |
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|
19 |
sassuolo |
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|
20 |
Salernitana |