Former forward Aldo Serena analysed Inter’s Scudetto success this season, the architects behind the victory and where Simone Inzaghi’s side can improve next.
The Nerazzurri mathematically secured their league title on Monday evening after beating rivals Milan in a tense 2-1 Derby della Madonnina showdown. It’s the club’s 20th league title, earning them the second Scudetto star on their shirts.
Inter have already started to look ahead to the 2024-25 season, keen to repeat their success in Serie A whilst carrying out some unfinished business in the Champions League. Simone Inzaghi’s side will also have to contend with the revamped Club World Cup in the summer of next year.
Serena analyses Inter
Speaking on page nine of today’s Tuttosport, Serena first explained when Inter started to increase the pace.
“In the November run when, in the space of four days, Inter won in Bergamo and Napoli and drew in Turin with Juventus, definitively leaving behind the delicate moment of the home missteps against Sassuolo and Bologna.
“After the success in Napoli, all doubts disappeared and the team began to play with highly tested automatisms. Every overlap became immediate, every insecurity evaporated and a desire to play with a growing joy was triggered.
“They forgot about their opponents and started to dominate. I saw all this in some of Inter’s initial starts, those first 20 minutes really reminded me of the record-breaking Inter.”
He weighed in on the strengths of this Inter side.
“Definitely collective cohesion. Everyone was willing to collaborate: the effect of Inzaghi’s choice to almost always use five substitutions with large portions of the match, giving space to the entire squad. So even those who played less created a positive atmosphere.
“No friction emerged, even on the part of those who were passed over in the hierarchies, such as Dumfries in Favor of Darmian. Everyone rowed in the same direction. It is an absolutely equal group with a propensity for offensive and modern football.”
The former striker highlighted some of Inter’s key players.
“Mkhitaryan and Calhanoglu were sensational, indispensable for making the ball move very quickly and supporting the attackers’ movements.
“Pavard and Bastoni, who move up a lot from central defenders, were fundamental in dominating certain key matches by continuing to move up and down.
“Dimarco and Barella were also very important, as well as Frattesi for the way he came in from the bench. They interpreted very well a manoeuvre aimed at doubling the lead after the opening goal, with physical prowess and strong determination.
“The only flaw in the season was the failure to score the 2-0 against Atletico Madrid at San Siro in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, which probably would have closed the qualification issue and avoided the surprises that occurred in the return leg.”
Serena discussed the growth of Federico Dimarco.
“Scary. On the left wing he is a fury with a very polite shot. He plays first halves in space and keeps at the same level for the first 15-20 minutes after the break. Then he turns on the red light a little after so many quality runs.”
He was asked about any unknowns at the start of the season.
“The main question mark was Thuram. His talents were known, but he was a champion project, known for his role as a winger capable of giving breadth to the game, less so for his ability as a striker.
“Instead, he quickly fell into the role in a spontaneous way: after 4-5 games of adjustment, he found the right times inside the area.”
He also touched on the growth of Lautaro Martinez.
“He took the captain’s armband which made him become a point of reference for his teammates on the field.
“The Argentine always sets an example by doing the right thing as an intention, in relation to the rest of the team. He has matured a lot thanks to this attitude.”
Finally, Serena discussed where Inter can still improve.
“Definitely in attack, Arnautovic and Sanchez never really put Inzaghi in difficulty in his choices. The signing of Taremi, an expert player with great experience in European cups, represents a first step forward.
“If Gudmundsson arrived, he would be ideal to give Inzaghi an additional solution in attack considering his dribbling ability. And I would consider the return of Valentin Carboni from Monza who has demonstrated this season that he is an interesting talent.
“In midfield Mkhitaryan is holding up impressively, but he is 35 years old. He can’t be employed that much longer. This is why the Zielinski signing is very useful.”
It was Inter‘s performance against the ‘small’ teams that was the difference between this year and last year.
Great on attack, with very few off days, and solid in defence, rarely giving anything away late. Unfortunately they did not score enough against Atletico, or in home in the Champions League in general. Lautaro scores sensational goals but also has his share of bewildering misses. Like last night. The core remains Bastoni, Barella, Lautaro, although many others have made themselves essential. Hakan, Thuram, Pavard, Acerbi…
We can easily improve with better bench strikers and actual quality at RWB (although Dumfries and Darmian both have their strengths).
Great team in serie A, but showed a lack of heart and personality against Atletico, not yet a great team in Europe, needs to grow in fighting spirit.
Alfonso