Mission possible? Stubborn defence gives Inter hope against treble-seeking Manchester City in Champions League final
So why stop now?From Milano to the stars.
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Special thanks to @zoesaldana and her beautiful voice 🖤💙#ForzaInter #UCL #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/ZDVxPI0qsD
— Inter (@Inter_en) June 7, 2023
The 24-year-old is the youngest among the three Italian centre-backs who have guarded Inter, the team with the most Champions League clean sheets this season. Seldom have good Italian sides, national or club, flourished without a strong set of defenders. The Italian school of defence has been embedded deeply into their football culture, let alone a three-man backline.
Bastoni, together with Matteo Darmian and Francesco Acerbi may not have the reputation of a Maldini, Chiellini, Bonucci or Cannavaro. Still, they sure make up for it in the grit and determination column. Who better than Acerbi to epitomise that?
It was almost 10 years ago that the then 25-year-old was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Twice within a span of six months. Not long before his diagnosis, the thought of ending his career had crossed Acerbi’s mind after his reckless drinking habits ended a short stint at the other Milan club. Cut to last month when he told his Inter teammates ahead of their game against Milan, “If we lose, this becomes a sh*t season. Very little separates a great season from a failure”. It wasn’t one.
Eight consecutive wins and a Coppa Italia title would make Manchester City wary. “Being a former United player is probably extra motivation. It will be good to play against them. It will be like a der for me,” says Matteo Darmian.
Mazzola, Milani, Jair and Milito ⚽🔙#ForzaInter #UCL #UCLFinal
— Inter (@Inter_en) June 9, 2023
The 33-year-old made sixty appearances for the other club in Manchester between 2015 to 2019, a gig that turned sour after a falling out with United boss Jose Mourinho and an eventual exit under the reign of his successor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. At Inter, Darmian has found a second wind with a loan move in 2020 to a full-time contract to now, one win away from being the glint in every United fan’s eye.
Road to anbul 🏆
Relive our #UCL quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich at the Etihad! 💪#ManCity | #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/H1Nwx3kiyl
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 8, 2023
City have marauded most teams this season, but Inter’s formation seems tailor-made to nullify Pep Guardiola and Co’s attacking features. With a 5-3-2 setting, the Simon Inzaghi side is at its best off the ball, a natural position when you’re playing the current Premier League champions. Sitting back and inviting the pressure, the three Inter centre halves are closely covered the wide backs on either side and the three midfielders ahead of them. An eight-player wall for the opposition to breach through, similar to what City faced against Real Madrid in the first leg of the semifinal this season, with Benzema and Vinicius being the only ones in the free. ‘Compact’ is the word Inzaghi uses a lot to describe the setting.
Inter have employed similar tactics to win the European Cup before. Be it the first under Helenio Herrera in 1964 that glorified the Catenaccio, an overly defensive style of football based on the five-defender formation. Or the latest to hold the trophy aloft under Jose Mourinho. Remember those 90 minutes at Camp Nou? Playing ugly isn’t something you shy away from in Italy or Inter. Acerbi describes it best. “I don’t care, just lift the trophy. However you win, you win.”
This strike from @KevinDeBruyne in our #UCL semi-final against Real Madrid was just ! 🤤 🙌#ManCity | #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/HVvTdtjRhy
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 9, 2023
On the other side of the field, counter-attacking is the way to the goals. With such deep defensive positions and only two forward players, the job profiles of Inter’s backline players become more flexible. Such as Allesandro Bastoni having more crosses in the penalty area than Kevin De Bruyne this European season. Or the 25-year-old wing-back Federico Dimarco having the joint-most asss.
All it takes is that one move. City have felt it all too well in this competition before. Inter look cut out for this. However, they shouldn’t have been here in the first place. The Champions League group stage tie had pitted them against Barcelona and Bayern Munich. A group they weren’t expected to progress through but did. Inzaghi was termed as a dead man walking in April the local press, who predicted he was one loss away from being sacked. At which point they stopped losing.
If Manchester City are wary of football hory they must know, Inter are at their best with their backs pushed against the wall. In 1964, it was the pressure of Milan becoming the first Italian club to win the European Cup. In 2010, it was a band of European rejects that had to follow on finishing behind Panathinaikos in the group stage a season ago. In 2023, the stakes couldn’t be more against Inzaghi’s men in the latest installment of ‘Mission almost impossible’. Then again, crazier things have happened with a Milan club playing a Champions League final in anbul.
