Inter are licking their wounds after a painful Champions League exit but resume the Serie A title chase against Scudetto holders Napoli tonight and should be proud of their campaign, writes Richard Hall.
Inter can mourn the loss to Atletico Madrid, but they do not need to procrastinate. Yes, they indeed underperformed in the second leg. It is true that the players underperformed, and it is true that they should have been out of sight in the first leg, but what they’ve achieved this season should not be underestimated. This is a team that will, unless things go incredibly wrong, win the Scudetto and will finish the season with immense pride.
As Lautaro’s penalty failed to convert, the roars from the Metropolitano could only be deafened by the noise of Italy’s main broadsheets typing away back home. They were rightly criticised, the game was a blow, a waste and mistakes were made. As one of the leading media outlets said, the night was a mixture of defensive substitutions, missed chances and uncharacteristically poor defending. Benjamin Pavard, Marcus Thuram, and the players who missed the penalties came in for criticism and Gazzetta declared the night a ‘slap to Italian football.’ Perhaps this is all true.
Inter have been on an incredible run, not defeated in Serie A in 2024, and they have played a lot of games, including the Supercoppa in the Middle East, which they won for a third consecutive season, overcoming Lazio and Napoli. They have been unstoppable in the domestic campaign and last weekend dragged out a result against in-form Bologna. Simone Inzaghi had to rotate and he did it with gusto. He’s been professional and intelligent in the use of the squad and Inter can claim to be the strongest in the division with proof to back that up.
For many, the defeat in the Champions League is a surprise with the backdrop mentioned above. The papers and the fans will pick apart the tactics, the substitutions and the penalty kicks and they will be right in doing so. On the day, Inter failed. There is no hiding. They did not improve on the year before when they reached the Final. The question, however, should focus on the context of the bigger picture. The Nerazzurri are still in an incredible place and are playing excellent football. As any supporter of any team from Serie D to Serie A can tell you, they all have off days. Did Inter come at the worst possible moment? Yes, does this derail the project and the ambition? Absolutely not.
Let us be clear: many pundits in Europe had Inter down to be in the final of Europe’s elite competition, just as they would have been with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City in most seasons. This will not change next year either. There is the argument that the Nerazzurri will be one of the best teams in this year’s competition, but their failure in Europe will be a blow well felt. The argument as to why it is not devastating is here.
When Juventus were winning back-to-back Serie A titles, they were terrific domestically, but in Europe, they fell short. This became an issue of how far the club could go, Inter are not there yet. Before one can demand European success as a necessity, one must first concentrate on sorting one’s house out, which is the crucial point for Inzaghi’s men. First, win the Scudetto; they do it back-to-back, then add the Coppa Italia, and once domestic dominance is complete, then expectations can look towards a ‘necessity’ of winning in Europe.
In today’s society, hard work is often neglected, and the end result is expected. For Inter, success is lifting the Scudetto at the end of the season and then going again. As of now, that looks credible, as Inter (before Atleti) had won the previous 13 games in all competitions in 2024.
Also, bear this in mind. Inter can afford to lose five games (take, for instance, Napoli, Empoli, Udinese, Cagliari and Milan), and providing they win the remaining five (Torino, Sassuolo, Frosinone, Lazio, Verona), they will win the title, even if Juventus and Milan win all their remaining ten games. So, I ask you, from the ten games mentioned above, will Inter get 15 points? I think so. That will be star number 20, and the season will finish in style with hope for the future. So don’t cry for Inter, it was a terrible night in Madrid but the future is bright.
@RichardHall