Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella, who has been ever-present in the recent club friendly games, believes change is possible going into the second half of the campaign.
High-flying Udinese stunned Scudetto-bidding Inter 3-1 at the Dacia Arena in Sunday's curtain-raising Serie A fixture to temporarily move to the summit. The visitors were utterly outclassed by their relentless hosts, who have won their fifth straight league match for the first time since December 2017.
Inter have had a poor start defensively, and the so-so showings of Samir Handanovic have contributed to it. While he hasn’t had glaring blunders, he hasn’t performed at the same level as the top goalkeepers in Serie A. The contrast with Mike Maignan was stark in the Derby.
Inter have experienced a rough aftermath following the loss in the Milan Derby, the second in the season already after the faux-pas versus Lazio. Simone Inzaghi insisted on asking his players to be humbler, identifying it as the main issue so far. The coach was particularly disappointed with his linchpins.
Inter unveiled their new jersey in a square in Milan Thursday, and a few of their stars took the floor to rally the fans, with Romelu Lukaku being the most vocal one: "The upcoming season will be the biggest challenge of my career."
CIES Football Observatory has drawn up the list of the world’s most valued football players as they do twice every year. Serie A is represented by 14 players in the top 100 list, with a few Juventus, Inter and Roma stars making the cut.
Nicolo Barella is the name in contention to play alongside Verratti, acting as a box-to-box midfielder, and thus allowing the Italian regista to take up more of a defensive role, although it is unlikely that Inter will let their star midfielder leave.
Even amid the recent slide, Inter have had little doubts about moving forward with coach Simone Inzaghi. Although, after they first surfaced a month ago, they put the extension talks on hold to focus on the Scudetto race. They virtually re-gained control of it thanks to the results of Round 32.
The summer will witness a Derby di Milano played out in the transfer market for the versatile 22-year-old attacker. The report mentions of negotiations at a ‘preliminary point’, as both clubs assess their options.
Inter will have to face Liverpool in the Round of 16 of Champions League without Nicolò Barella. The midfielder was handed a two-game ban following a red card in the Real Madrid clash. The Nerazzurri will not appeal against it. He was disciplined for an excessive reaction against Eder Militao.
Barella will be missing the 1st leg against the Reds due to a silly red card he picked at the Santiago Bernabeu. He hopes to be back for the return leg at Anfield.