After Inter edging Juventus in a captivating 2-1 fixture at the San Siro within the finals of the Supercoppa Italiana, here are three key aspects that we have obtained after witnessing the thrilling fixture between the two Serie A giants.
Inter Are a Force to Be Reckoned With
Despite the fact that Juventus headed into the cup finals with many of their starters unavailable such as Federico Chiesa, Juan Cuadrado and Matthijs de Ligt, facing the Bianconeri in a fixture that possessed an immense amount of magnitude was arguably the Nerazzurri’s biggest test so far throughout this season. Inzaghi knew that obtaining a victory against a Juventus side that is filled with a great deal of talent and depth would provide his side with an abundance of momentum and send shock-waves across Europe.
With Inter triumphing over Juventus at the Stadio San Siro in such a dominant fashion, Inzaghi’s men have proven to all the viewers and supporters that last year’s title-winning capaign was far from a fluke and that his squad are more than capable of winning the scudetto for a consecutive season.
In addition, the impressive victory over the Old Lady has demonstrated that Inter possess all the necessary tools to win more than just the scudetto this season. The cup finals served as prime example of Inzaghi getting the best out of each and every single one of his players as Mattia Darmian and Sanchez both came off the bench in the second half and helped provide Inter with a goal that secured the vital victory within the last seconds of the finals.
As a result, Inzaghi side’s substantial amount of depth can play a pivotal role in potentially claiming the honorary Coppa D’Italia, as well as causing a huge upset over Liverpool and making it far within the prestigious UEFA Champions League.
Alessandro Bastoni Can Become the Best Serie A Defender
There is no doubt that one of the most impressive players on the pitch at the San Siro during the cup finals was Alessandro Bastoni.
The young Italian defender did a fantastic job of winning the ball back for the Nerazzurri in key areas of the pitch through his remarkable anticipation of the game and his excellent aggression when taking the ball off of the opposing players.
Moreover, the 22 year-old centre-back utilized that left-foot to build out of the back in a such a cool and composed matter. Bastoni was brilliant as he continuously broke Juventus’ lines as he launched impeccable passes in between the gaps through the use of his peripheral vision and his long-range passing ability.
With the Italian international continuing to showcase his defensive skills within high-stature fixtures that are immersed with a tremendous amount of pressure, there is no reason to doubt that Bastoni is not capable of becoming the best stopper within the Serie A in the near future.
Juventus Midfield Is Far from Their Only Problem
Although it was evident that the midfield of the Bianconeri was one their major problems, it seems that Inter has exploited another weakness of theirs that is surprising given their history within the Serie A, their defence.
Throughout the fixture at the San Siro, Juventus’ defensive play was below-par as Allegri’s men struggled immensely to cope with Inter’s fast-flowing possessive style within the final third of the pitch. The Bianconeri’s defensive shape was far too fragile as Inter were entering their half very easily and were possessing the ball within their zone with barely any pressure being applied higher up the pitch.
Allegri’s men lacked defensive discipline as Mattia De Sciglio gave away a a penalty after a clumsy challenge on Edin Dzeko within the box. In addition, Juventus’s man-marking and zonal defending was appalling as Inter constantly found spaces in between the gaps through the flanks and launched crosses into dangerous areas where Simone’s men were often found unmarked. Moreover, the Old Lady lacked confidence within the final line of defence as Alex Sandro’s lack-lustre clearance led to Alexis Sanchez scoring a last-gasp winner.
It seems that Allegri has a lot on in his plate as he is desperate to implement structure and organization within Juventus’ defensive shape in order to bounce back and improve as they move forward towards the remaining five months of the current season.