Inzaghi ahead of Milan vs. Inter: "An important derby, duels and incidents will be decisive"

APPIANO GENTILE - At 18:00 CEST on Saturday 3 September, Inter will face Milan on matchday five of the Serie A season.

Ahead of the first Milan derby of the campaign, Simone Inzaghi had the following to say to the press:

Milan have a precise and proven tactical set-up: could the derby be decided by individual duels? “They’ll be very important. We know what a derby represents, both for the Club and the fans. We’re in good shape going into the game and have recovered mentally and physically. Today, we’ll have our penultimate session; then, tomorrow, we’ll take to the pitch for an important match.”

In what way are you using the memory of last season’s game to fire up your players? “Last season, we played four derbies. We won the last one 3-0, allowing us to go on and win a trophy. We remember the game in the league, but no extra motivation is needed to get fired up for a derby. The lads have a lot of character and real desire to play the game. The top two teams from last year are facing each other, two strong teams with their own playing principles. During the first few matchdays, we’ve seen that all the matches are even affairs. Certain incidents will make the difference, and we need to be good at making sure they go our way.”

Is this the Inter team you wanted? “Absolutely, yes. We can compete for important objectives. The Club has worked very well. I’m very satisfied; the team will show that they’re competitive this season, too.”

When will Lukaku be back? “Romelu picked up an injury and we hope he’ll be back before the international break. Time is needed, but the medical staff are working to get him back as soon as possible. There have been several injuries in the opening games; every team needs to be ready.”

The team could be very similar to the one that took to the pitch in the Coppa Italia derby showdown last season. Is it a previous encounter that should be studied in particular? “We were involved in four derbies last season, all of which were different. They were, however, all balanced affairs, and my team played well and showed great character in all of them. Certain match incidents and duels will be important; determination and ruthlessness will be required.”

Do you think Inter are stronger than last year? “The pitch will tell us if this is the case, but we’ve worked well. We’ve retained important players and made some intelligent additions in the transfer market, bringing in the right mix of experience and youth.”

Ahead of the game, Inter have one more point than Milan but have received some criticism. What are your thoughts on the season so far? “A lot was said about our defeat in Rome. We are Inter: our defeats always make headlines. We’ve picked up nine points from four matches and are second in the league. Game after game, our condition is likely to improve: we have players with real physical prowess, and the more we play, the better it’ll be for us. An intense period awaits, and we’ll try to improve in every training session and every game.”

In Acerbi, a good international player has arrived at the Club: what can he add to the team? “Acerbi has plenty of experience and has already worked with me and my staff. He’s an important player and can play in the centre or either side of the centre-back in the middle. He’ll be important both on and off the pitch in the same way that Ranocchia, who produced some big performances, was last season.”

Will Bastoni be available? Who will play in attack? “We’re still to train today. Bastoni wasn’t 100% fit before the game against Cremonese, but he made himself available to play. He’ll return to group training today and I’ll have to make a decision, with this also applying to the attack. Without Lukaku, I have three options: Lautaro started from the bench on Tuesday, and I’ll have to choose his partner. Correa did really well and scored, while Dzeko did some brilliant work. I need to make a decision on who will start on the wings, too.”

How much of a boost has Tuesday’s win given the team ahead of the derby? “It was an important match. We went into the game on the back of three days where, in my opinion, there had been too much talk about the match in Rome. I wanted to see a reaction and I got one; we produced a professional performance against a team that have picked up fewer points than they’ve deserved so far.”

How is Gosens doing? “Robin was out for six months last year. He’s working with real desire and determination. We’ll see about tomorrow; on that side of the pitch, Dimarco and Darmian are also possible options. With all the matches we’ve got coming up, everyone will get more and more minutes under their belts.”

Inter play very high up the pitch. Could there be a change with Milan’s counter-attacking players waiting to strike? “Game by game, we analyse all situations depending on our opponents. In matches like these, your attitude and motivation make the difference. There’s still room for improvement physically, and when you concede, you need to look at the whole team, not just the defence.”

Are you looking for revenge after watching Milan’s celebrations last year? “Personally, I remember the two trophies that we won together with our fans in Milan and Rome, as well as the way the crowd embraced us after the final matchday against Sampdoria. We all know the importance of tomorrow’s game.”

Which team strengthened the most? Is there a favourite to win the league? “Every team has strengthened, but it’s difficult to win all the time, including against so-called “easier” opponents. There are six or seven teams that have the aim of winning, but only one can triumph.”