Inter Might Have Squandered Their Biggest Advantage

Perhaps the fact that many top players aren’t in tip-top shape and had challenging summers fitness-wise is all there is behind the early and quite surprising struggles of Inter. While that’s true, it also feels a little reductive. Plus, at this point, we’re more than a month into the season. The conditioning should be close to optimal even for those who had issues. The excuse of the crowded schedule doesn’t fly yet after just one Champions League round.

If the Nerazzurri are the same team as in the past campaign, they’ll come out and crush Udinese in the next match. The Friulani have been one of the early revelations but mostly thanks to narrow wins and because they caught opponents off guard rather than because of the quality of their squad and play. Roma did quick work of them. While the Scudetto holders will face them on the road, they have everything to do the same.

The Results

The Derby should serve as a wake-up call, but it wasn’t their most alarming showing. They were due to be picked off after an unusually long winning streak against their crosstown rivals. While the Rossoneri deserved to win as they were the aggressors, outplayed the adversaries, and created more chances, Lautaro Martinez and co. still showed up and had an okay display. Instead, the flat and discombobulated ones versus Genoa and Monza were a lot more concerning. They left four points on the table that they might regret down the road. It’s not a coincidence that they had the best showing against the only foe they couldn’t possibly underestimate, Manchester City.

The Problems

Some sense of complacency is natural after a dominating season. History is filled with botched title defenses because teams don’t have the right sense of urgency. Napoli had the most disastrous example last year amid other issues. It’s paramount for Inter to recapture the hunger and fierceness that characterized them in 2023/2024. Their pursuit of the second star was relentless and came at the expense of the Champions League a little. They had the eye of the tiger against the minnows, and those fixtures were often no contests.

If they needed proper motivation, they have learned their lesson early. The rivals are a lot closer to them than expected. More significantly, they are further along in their evolutions and the process of becoming real menaces despite their profound modifications during the summer.

The Title Race

Inter had a weird window under the new ownership, basically spending zilch without any meaningful departure. They made a couple of savvy Bosman additions, but the backbone of the squad wasn’t touched, and they obviously have the same gaffer. Continuity is a powerful tool and should have been their superpower early.

Juventus, Milan, and Napoli all had a coaching change. The Old Lady and the Partenopei went in completely different tactical and stylistic directions and overhauled their squads, so early woes are normal. The Rossoneri were less drastic and busy and have been hampered by their lack of ambition with their hire and signings, but they might have gotten on track with their latest adjustment. We’ll see whether it’ll stick and keep working. Still, after much despair and chatter, they have collected the same amount of points.

Inter might rue the missed opportunity of not rattling off six or seven victories in the first few rounds, setting the tone for the rest of the season, and initiating a cat-and-mouse game that could have worn down most of the other sides. They have room to grow and will surely do it. Just to make the main examples, Benjamin Pavard, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Lautaro Martinez won’t continue to be so poor once they have their legs fully underneath them.

The Rivals

The Nerazzurri have the most complete squad but not necessarily the highest ceiling. They can’t count on the element of novelty like other teams. It took them the whole summer, but Juventus have put together a roster of studs. It’s impressive that they are already airtight in the back. The goals will come, and they’ll win almost every match where they don’t concede.

Napoli are a dangerous animal without the cups and with Antonio Conte maniacally studying the opponents du jour for an entire week. Hiring him and meeting his demands was expensive but did exactly what they hoped: completely erase last season and restore their credibility as a threat in the Scudetto race. They won’t be flashy but are extremely solid in every position. If their trident starts humming, it’ll be a problem for everybody.

Milan have to show it consistently now, but they don’t lack talent and experience. Even though their summer wasn’t awe-inspiring nor addressed every hole, they did get better. Roma did it more significantly, but they have their own issues to work through and might be behind schedule already if the others start marching at an elite pace.

The Remedy and the Perils

Inter had the chance to lean on consistency, frustrate the rivals, and flush out contenders and pretenders. They did none of that, leaving the door open for somebody else to take hold of the top spot. The next two rounds will be pivotal on that front already. If they stumble again, they could have trouble playing from behind, as they aren’t a little front-running.

Juventus, Milan, and Napoli should grow organically the more the squad gets used to the new coach and vice versa, so they have a lot more untapped potential. Instead, unless Simone Inzaghi pulls one out of the hat, the Nerazzurri don’t have that luxury. They’ll go as far as their top players take them. Without a quick turnaround, the internal finger-point will commence soon enough, and they might not be built or mentally strong enough to weather that.