the 3-5-2 that never changes – Corriere.it

Every coach has his own problems, but not all big coaches have to face the market in financial self-management, closing each session with a thrill; few have a downgraded captain (Skriniar) who has already signed with PSG; a center forward (Lukaku) on lease who has not yet made a single performance that justifies the renewal of the loan; a series of key players (Brozovic, Bastoni, Dumfries, Lautaro, Dimarco, Onana) potentially for sale because 60 million are needed in the budget by June.

If it is true that on paper Inter’s squad is not inferior to that of Napoli or Juve, it is equally objective that Simone Inzaghi in this anomalous context can represent an element of continuity, if not yet an acquired certainty. It is clear that without a place in the top four, the coach will be the first to pay, but despite the weight of the Scudetto lost last year and never touched this season, Inzaghi has earned some credit: three trophies, few complaints, one double qualification for the round of 16 of the Champions League that hadn’t arrived since the days of Mourinho: Simone speaks little (perhaps least of all in Serie A if we count the press conferences on the eve, almost abolished), collects and when it’s time he raises.

A sort of sphinx who always goes on with his 3-5-2 fight and governance, a more double-edged module than others, effective (or not) depending on the interpreters and the pace impressed on the race. For example, playing with three centre-backs like Skriniar, De Vrij and Acerbi in Marassi against the penultimate side (who hadn’t scored at home since 6 October), made the team slow and monotonous. A problem, that of the speed of the ball, which is often seen against small to medium-sized teams, because sometimes it is also a question of motivation: a terrain on which Inzaghi must improve. However, to bring the entire group (only Correa is missing) to the appointment with the Champions League, the turnover was necessary, even if many second choices (Gosens, Correa himself, the discontinuous Dumfries) are not up to eleven owner that Inzaghi shaped in January and that he will also propose again Wednesday with Sergio Conceiçao’s Porto, that is, with Dzeko-Lautaro in front and Calhanoglu in directing, with Darmian favorite over Dumfries: «We’re fine, we have recovered important players who are helping me in the rotations – underlines Simone -. We look forward to this match against a quality opponent who has been trained by the same coach for many years. We know of the difficulties of the challenge and we will prepare for it in the best possible way».

Even Conceiçao, who with Inzaghi won the Scudetto at Lazio, has a formation that never changes: a short 4-4-2, made up of pressing, push on the flanks and verticality. Porto is second to him, since 2017 he has won the title three times and when he didn’t make it, then he reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, also beating Juve and Milan on his way. A team without stars, but more used to these challenges than Inter. Between round trips, Inter will play against Bologna, Lecce and Spezia: Inzaghi will rotate men, struggle, risk losing more points. But he will try to keep the bar straight, aiming for the quarterfinals. Prestige, money (and dreams) for the most difficult mission: conquering Inter. For real.