Champions League Archives | Page 9 Of 9

Champions League nights are back in Milan at the San Siro Stadium and not just for a final. What a first night of Champions League it was for the 3 times European Cup/Champions League winners against English side Tottenham Hotspur who have qualified for the Champions League more regularly than Inter has in recent times. Inter and Tottenham both came into this game having lost their last league match. For at least half of the players starting for Inter, it was their Champions League debut while the Tottenham team has been together for about 3 years now albeit with notable absentees in Hugo Lloris, Dele Alli, Toby Aldeweireld, and Kieran Trippier either due to injury or for tactical reasons. The first half was rather even. Inter did well to press Tottenham high and forcing them to make mistakes on the ball, winning it early but like on Saturday, the team lacked the killer final pass or cross. Tottenham, on the other hand, had the better chances of the half. The second half started on a rather similar note until Tottenham took the lead in a period when they were in the ascendancy. Christian Eriksen's initial shot was saved by Samir Handanovic but from the rebound, Eriksen's effort took a huge deflection off Joao Miranda to wrong-foot Handanovic. The goal conceded was symbolic of the recent poor form that Inter has been suffering from and it had an effect on the team's morale. As is common in recent seasons of failure and disappointments, when the going gets tough, the players head start dropping and there is no-one that is able to drag the team by the scruff of the neck and bring it back to life again. Things get worse with every goal conceded, every pass misplaced, every cross overhit and every shot that goes nowhere but over or wide. It was that dark spell again for Inter but thankfully Inter hung on to only conceding one goal. Tottenham was playing better for the first time in the match and had more chances to extend their lead but couldn't take it as Handanovic and the Inter defense hung on. Inter offered little threat going forward until Kwado Asamoah crossed to the edge of the box for it to be met by a fierce swerving volley by Mauro Icardi for the equalizer. All of a sudden, the team woke up from its slumber, their eyes lit up again, belief started coursing through the veins and they dared to believe that they could win it and win it they did. A corner by substitute Antonio Candreva was met by Stefan De Vrij who sent it back into the danger area for Matias Vecino to head home the winner as he did in the last league match of last season against Lazio which sent Inter to the Champions League. It left Tottenham shell-shocked and feeling heartbroken at the defeat but it was a delirious joy for Inter. You could feel the relief when the ball went in and at the final whistle. The result and the manner it was achieved was great. It was a memorable European night for Inter fans no matter what happens for the rest of their campaign in the Champions League this season. You could see that once the players got the belief from the equalizer, they really felt they could go on to win it and they did. They proved that with belief they can be a match to anyone. However, before the equalizer, the team was sorely lacking a source of inspiration, a leader to bring out that belief in the players. Once again, there was a lot of pretty play outside the box but nothing incisive around the box that would lead to the creation of a chance. Nothing clear-cut for players to have a decent chance at scoring. Radja Nainggolan for me is not a trequartista. I know he was re-invented in that position by Luciano Spalletti at Roma but it is not a role suited for a player of his characteristics. He is a bustling, industrious powerhouse of a player with a strong personality that is lacking in this team, not someone known to have the guile and finesse to unlock tight defenses. Spalletti needs to deploy him further behind. Icardi might have scored a great goal that maybe 9 out of 10 times he would have missed, the identity of the player that scored that goal really surprised me because I have only ever seen him score from inside the box, nothing outside of it. He was completely invisible before scoring like he was in 45 minutes against Parma on Saturday. The difference between Harry Kane and Icardi was plain for everyone to see today. Kane might have let Inter off the hook by missing a sitter but besides that his overall play was very good, he always looked to get involved in the play, held the ball up well and got his teammates involved. Icardi, on the other hand, was sulking about, looking lost and frustrated in the confines of the penalty area, offering little to his team-mates. The goal he scored sparked him to life but not scoring a goal cannot dictate how a player gets involved in play especially if that player is the captain and the team is struggling and needed leadership. Inter's Croatian duo, Marcelo Brozovic, and Ivan Perisic need some time out to recharge their batteries and eased back into the first team after going all the way in the World Cup, Matteo Politano worked hard on the right flank but needed some belief in his play to do better. Milan Skriniar did a fine job at right back but clearly looks uncomfortable there while de Vrij and Miranda were comfortable at the heart of the defense. The main thing I hope the team brings forward from this is the belief that they can win matches even if they do concede first. We do hope to see an incisive attacking play and that Spalletti finds the solution to this issue.

Champions League

Dramatic Return To Champions League For Inter

Firmino's Late Goal Gives Liverpool the Win Over PSG, 3-2

Real Madrid, The Kings of Europe are Back

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw

STL Network

About STL

Business

Users