Inzaghi: ‘We have to up our level for a crucial game’

Inter are preparing for the Derby d'Italia against Juventus, on matchday 25 of the 2024/25 Serie A season. On the eve of the match, coach Simone Inzaghi answers journalists' questions at a press conference:

How do you prepare for an important match like this one?

'We all know what this match represents, it's an important game for us and for our fans. We know we'll have to play a great game against a quality team that made changes in the winter transfer window and that is coming off three consecutive victories.’

Do you still have any doubts about tomorrow's line-up?

‘I'll have to decide after today's training. Dimarco and Dumfries are back; we'll assess Thuram today as he's been training separately and is feeling some pain. We'll see how he feels today.’

How important is it to give Thuram some recovery time on the bench? ‘

We know how valuable he is, at the moment he's more of a bench player, but he's a team player. He's been taking it easy these days and doing some separate training, we'll see if he's ready to play and can help us out. The other forwards are fine though. After today's final training session, I'll make my choices’.

How important will it be to approach the match positively?

‘Direct clashes are very important, especially at this point in the season. We'll have to raise our level, trying to win important victories. So far, we haven't been perfect in the big matches’.

Could the match against the Bianconeri be a similar challenge to the Derby?

"The Bianconeri have quality. They were aggressive against PSV, but less so in other matches. They can manage to change up their attitude during the match. As far as we're concerned, we're preparing the most we can."

Do you have the feeling that the fight for the Scudetto is getting worse in terms of media attention?

"After the match against AC Milan, I got angry because I was thinking about my team. When something happens involving Inter, it's never mentioned. I sounded the alarm. We had the proof on Monday: they're still talking about the corner. It reminds me of an episode in Leverkusen, with a corner kick and a player of theirs one metre offside. Nothing was said. I make it my business to defend my job, the players and the club."

At the moment, you are 11 points ahead of Juventus. What do you think about that?

'The league table is clear to everyone, but we know that we are facing a team that has strengthened and that has an excellent coach on the bench. In the first leg, they had several injuries that penalised them and they drew a few too many games. It will be a tough game for us and we have to do our best’.

Do Inter have different objectives compared to the other teams?

'We have our ambitions, we have our desires and a Scudetto on our chest that we will defend with all our strength. We, Napoli and Atalanta have a few more points advantage. The others are winning consecutive games and so the fight will be open until the end’.

Is there a risk of one team getting stuck after the 4-4 draw in the first leg?

"It's been a while, but we've analysed it. We had a good first half in the attacking phase, but we needed to work better in the defensive phase. We made mistakes that prevented us from winning the game, which was in our hands until the 65th minute.’

Having had 5-6 days to prepare for the match, will Inter be more ready to shine?

"That's the hope. We've worked hard these last three days. We had Monday's match, Juve played on Tuesday. We have a day's difference. We are two teams that have played a lot. We are similar to Atalanta and AC Milan in having played the most games. These weeks give us the chance to work on the details that make the difference in these matches."

Do you have any doubts in our defence?

'They're all doing well, so I'll have to choose between Acerbi and De Vrij, between Pavard and Bisseck and between Bastoni and Carlos, who did very well in the last two. Dimarco is back, Zalewski has made two excellent appearances, and he's settling in well. I'll have to evaluate carefully, hoping to let Thuram recover more. The others are all doing well.'

From a mental point of view, have you spoken to the strikers who are playing less?

'As a player, I also liked to play from the start, and coming on is not easy in some games. I am lucky to have important players available, as Arnautovic showed on Monday. Taremi played well and he too is getting over the problem after Lecce. I want to get all the players in the best possible condition and then choose with peace of mind.'

What do you think of Taremi's performance?

‘He had an excellent first half, then he had a problem on the eve of the game that slowed him down. He was used to being a starter and here there is competition. He was clearly improving and I was very satisfied, then there was the match in Lecce where he felt a problem in the goal-scoring move and in these 15-20 days, he hasn't been able to train at his best. He's a hard worker, a positive player who has settled in well. As far as I'm concerned, I'm very happy with him’.

Did you feel called into question by Conte?

"There are mistakes and there always will be, made by referees, coaches and players. I got angry at the different treatment I received from the media and the programmes I watch. After 3-4-5 times, I got angry and defended our work. I'm very calm, but sometimes I make mistakes due to adrenaline. For example, on Monday, I was rightly cautioned.'

How will you manage today's training session, given that there's the Napoli game and then the Sanremo final?

'We'll train in the afternoon as the away game is quite soon. We'll finish and then leave for Turin, where we'll arrive in time for dinner.'

How is Calhanoglu?

‘He's had a few setbacks that he's never had in his career. He's had to stop, but lately he's done 3 training sessions that have helped him improve his condition. He's worked very well in these four days and I think we'll soon have the Calhanoglu we know back. I see it as positive, he works well with his teammates, so there's no problem.’