Inzaghi: "We will need a massive performance. I have faith in my lads”

With a few hours to go until Manchester City vs. Inter, the Nerazzurri’s first game of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25, Coach Simone Inzaghi spoke in a press conference ahead of the game on Wednesday 18 September at 21:00 CEST in the English city.

It’s a big game: what will you ask from your side? "We know what kind of opposition Man City are. They are a strong side, organised. They haven’t lost at home in the Champions League for six years, since 2018. We know what we have to do, we need to put in a massive performance. We will need speed, aggression, and determination: these make up a great game”.

Does something need to be adjusted straight away to maintain a top-level performance? "Speaking of the game against Monza, I have to say that we were definitely not up to speed, we played differently against Atalanta. I’ve had many players away in Europe and all over the world, we didn’t do as well as the previous game but now we know that we need another kind of intensity. The level is higher in Europe, we know that, but I am happy with my lads’ work”.

Have you ever rewatched the final in Istanbul? "I rewatched it one week after we played and I rewatched it last month during the break. I don’t have any regrets about that game: I know that the team gave it everything, finals are decided by passages of play. They did well with that, Guardiola said so too. This Champions League is more difficult, before it was three opponents in a group, now we have to prepare for eight games”.

How is Lautaro Martinez? "Lautaro is our captain, he will score a lot again this year. He joined almost a month after his teammates, he came back early to work with us. He has played a lot of international football, he has been travelling. Better form will come with more games and training”.

Rarely, Inter allow the opposition to control the pace: what changes in a game like this? "We need to be good at both ends, with and without the ball. We need to think clearly and keep our moves clean. We need to keep them at bay, if we give them too much of the ball, things will get complicated”. 

The schedule is very tight, what do you think about it? "We know how it is, I can say that preparing for these games as a coach is something amazing. We began preparations on 13 July, we will finish our season in July 2025 with the Club World Cup. I know that we have a lot of fixtures, we talk about it with the players and the Club. Today, we don’t have Dimarco or Arnautovic available, we have a couple fewer options but we are used to having to rotate players sometimes with limitations”.

How are you handling the turnover? "We take each game as it comes. Data helps, we monitor all the players with the staff, their rest and their need for recovery. We will organise ourselves accordingly, we’re focused on Manchester City and then we have four days before the derby”.

Do you have a points tally in mind to secure a spot in the next round of the Champions League? "We’ve looked at the simulations, but we’re not focused on them. It’s something new to us, it’s more expensive, but it will be very interesting.

Last year, Inter sometimes played with a different set-up in the Champions League, will that be true this year? "I’m yet to decide on tomorrow’s set-up: I have some doubts that I will carry through to tomorrow. There is much to assess, Manchester City are the strongest side we could face. I am calm because these lads always deliver for me. Tomorrow, we will work with the video but, and I repeat, we will need to put in a massive performance with all our strengths”.

Do you feel you can match Manchester City’s level? "We always set out to win: then, we know that we have different budgets and are in different situations. It will be a pleasure to see Pep Guardiola again, I also saw him casually in New York on holiday, we saw one another for the FIFA awards in London and it’s always a pleasure to speak to him about football: he’s the best about, an inspiration to all coaches”.