Date : 06/03/2016

Venue : Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Competition : Serie A 2015/2016, Matchday 28

The starting line ups:

For the first time this season in Serie A, Juan Pablo Carrizo started as the GK, replacing Samir Handanovic. He was protected by a four man defense that included Nagatomo, Miranda, Murillo and D’Ambrosio. Gary Medel and Kondogbia created the double pivot in front of defense and had the responsibility to balance the play of a team that included four attacking players up front,like Ljajic, Perisic, Palacio and the captain Mauro Icardi.

Giuseppe Iachini presented his team in a 5-3-2 formation. Stefano Sorrentino was under the goal posts behind the three CBs, Andelkovic, Gonzalez and Vitiello. Maresca was protecting the defense as a DM, with Hiljemark and Chochev some metres in front of him. Gilardino played as the striker with Vazquez in a more free role behind him, while Rispoli and Pezzella were responsible for the wings as the two wingbacks.

Palermo

Iachini’s basic game plan was to force Inter to play through the wings where it was easier to press and win the ball. If the ball was not won and Inter broke the press, Palermo then sat back in 5-3-1-1 formation, or sometimes just in two lines in a 5-3, in order to close spaces and wait for an opportunity for a counter-attack to come. Counter-attacks which were the main choice for Palermo as they always tried to find their opponents unorganized, almost never bothering to build slowly and from the back in order to break the opposition lines, unless they had no other choice.

However, the whole defensive plan was getting destroyed many times primarily due to the passiveness and sluggishness of the two forwards, who either left one of Inter’s CBs to break the lines and move behind them or did not cover central passing lanes properly, and Chochev’s general bad relationship with defending.

Chochev was almost never returning on time, forcing his team to defend with just seven outfield players, against an Inter side that attacked and tried to give width on the pitch with at least 6 or 7 players. Let’s look at just some of these examples:

Palermo presses Inter’s RB, but the press is broken. Maresca has already moved towards the side of the ball to cover but Chochev never followed, leaving Palacio free to make himself available for a pass in front of Palermo’s CBs.

Again here, the distance between him and Maresca is too big, affording Ljajic the time and space to receive the ball.

The below screenshot is taken just seconds before the first goal.

Although Hiljemark did not position his body in a manner in which he could cut the central passing lane to Ljajic, allowing him to receive the ball, there was no cover behind him and next to Maresca from Chochev to correct the situation.



Inter



Attacking movements

Ljajic had once again a free role, roaming around the field in search of space to receive the ball and connect with either Icardi or Perisic and Palacio. The Argentinian’s role in this game was of big importance as he seemed like he was always trying to balance Ljajic’s movements, going near the wing when the Serbian was evacuating it and trying to not congest area’s if both of them for example moved too close to each other. His incredible work rate also made the defenders’ and DM’s life’s better at times, with his constant movements towards the ball, when they were unable to move it forward. As for the double pivot, they worked in a very common way, with the one nearest to the ball moving near the line and covering this space behind the winger and the FB who were upfield, and the other one stayed centrally.

Another movement that was noticed was the one below:

Both wingers, Ljajic and Perisic, move inside leaving the wings free for their FBs to receive the ball and move upfield.

As for the fullbacks, D’Ambrosio was Inter’s Achilles’ heel, being very sloppy with his passing and very vulnerable under pressing, forcing Mancini to put him on the right side and bring Nagatomo to the left.

Inter has problems moving the ball forwards

Although this game was an exception when it came to Inter’s general attacking lack of compactness, movement and combination play, we have to mention the general inability to move the ball forwards with a horizontal pass from Inter’s DMs or CBs.

Kondogbia and Medel during this game, either they did not see a free teammate or an open passing lane quickly enough or they decided to take an “absolutely no risk approach” and not even try to pass, even if the risk of a lost ball was minimum. This of course led to a lot of horizontal passing and no progress on the pitch.

Seeing that, Mancini order Ljajic or Palacio to move closer to them in order to receive the ball and try to make the game progress.

Although this solution, solved the problem momentarily, it is something that of course can’t go on, as that will mean that there will be two players offering nothing on attack and one less attacking choice for a pass upfront. It also points out, that even if Inter’s attacking problems are primarily movement and structure based, the lack of a player in front of defense that can circulate the ball quickly and find a simple horizontal pass, is also important.



Conclusion

Inter won this game easily, mainly because their opponent didn’t seem like they had something to offer and excluding two very dangerous situations never seemed like they can win the game. Inter now face a Bologna side that has many elements that Palermo does not, like an organized defensive structure, defensive discipline and if needs be aggressive pressing, and it will be a great test before the “win or die” match of the season against Roma.

For more analysis, Inter and non Inter related, you can follow me on Twitter, @ThanosChelas.