UCL, Inzaghi: "A very important match, is a great opportunity"

APPIANO GENTILE - Inter are preparing for their match against Viktoria Plzen, on matchday 5 of Group C. Coach Simone Inzaghi spoke in a press conference on the eve of the match:

You are one step away from a feat that seemed unlikely on the eve of the match: how important would it be to get to the round of 16 again? How much can Inter improve defensively?

"A team like ours and with our defenders must grow, last year we had the second best defence. When we talk about defending we talk about the whole team, not just the defenders. Tomorrow will be a great clash, we are in the same situation as last year with a much more difficult group: we are one step away from reaching our first real goal of the season. In Munich then it will be very difficult.

Inter have never had a problem in attack, despite Lukaku's absence: will he be called up? Where can Inter improve in attack?

"Lukaku will be called up and he is working with great enthusiasm: he missed today's training but he is clearly on the upswing. He missed 60 days and it was a big loss for us, but the team did well. In football you always have to improve, we have always scored apart from the game against Bayern."

There is a clear difference in goals conceded at home and away, what changes? Inter's attitude is always the same, how do you explain that?

"It's a fair point, there is a difference, but last year there was not. We have to work even harder, also because the goals conceded are different. On Saturday we conceded a penalty, while in the second goal we had to cover the field better, but it was a great goal. The third one again, we cannot concede a goal like that, a team like ours cannot concede that goal'.

How are qualification and Skriniar's renewal connected? How important is it for the situation to be resolved positively?

"I am lucky to have very good directors who are already thinking about this. We have other players in the same situation, I hope everything can be resolved. Skriniar is clearly growing, he resumed his summer training late after an injury with the national team. He is clearly growing, as is the whole team.

Do you take personal credit for the team's growth?

I think we coaches are always judged by results. In my head, however, there is only tomorrow's game: qualification was a far-off thing in everyone's mind on the day of the draw, except for me and my players who have always worked for it. We hope to give great satisfaction to the fans and the club, we know how much we have worked in these four games: we have to show that we are a great team".

How do you see the boys going off to the World Cup?

"Calm, collected: we have seven players who will go to the World Cup. Among them we don't have Lukaku and Brozovic yet, but I see all the others working well. They are all thinking about Inter and they are working well, also to be ready when they go to the World Cup".