Chivu dominates Fabregas (who however does not come out reduced). What the San Siro match said
More than the effect, three points in the farm to stay glued to leaders Lazio, can be the way in which Inter mistreated Como in the face-to-face match at San Siro. Fabregas arrived in Milan in the wake of the spectacular Champions League show, with the eyes of the world on him and with a degree exam to attempt to understand the domestic dimension after having amazed in Europe. He was pushed back, a defeat that doesn’t hurt from a numerical point of view for a team that learns even when it loses (an overused slogan, but which can be used for the Como team) but which leaves the feeling of a gap still to be filled.
It’s a message to the entire championship, the one that Inter wanted to send in their last effort before the break. The lost derby is behind us, the competitive ferocity with which Chivu’s men attacked Como in the first quarter of the match must remain in the minds of their opponents: absolute, physical, technical and tactical dominance. Since the others, i.e. the Como players, have shown that they are not compliant with anyone, it is clear that the Italian champions wanted to brand their birthright on the championship.
It’s not surprising because it’s a trademark of these Inter seasons: many times those who went up to San Siro to present their credentials were sent home to do their homework again. It is the mental strength of a team destined for a season as protagonists in Italy and, if they clear up some amnesias, also in Europe. In addition to the result, there are many comforting signs for Chivu, but the most obvious one is that slowly (with a certain delay) the summer transfer market is starting to have an effect: seeing Spence on the right flank has soothed the nostalgia of Dumfries, for example, for at least one evening.
The page turned after the derby, both in Rotterdam and against Como. Two games, five goals scored and zero conceded, allowing the opposing attackers the misery of three shots on Martinez’s target. For those who had spent the previous weeks wondering about the sudden defensive fragility, a good sign of progress and bad news for the others, starting with Lazio and Roma who duel in the very top areas of the table. Como doesn’t come out scaled down at all. Maybe Lens’ hangover had an impact, perhaps. But even if this were the case, it is a necessary growth step.
