The Nerazzurri have been defeated in 6 of their last 7 Champions League matches but the statistics do not fail their performances. Chivu and the need to correct errors and omissions, which are fatal at these levels.
Image one of the night at the Bernabeu: Inter dribbling on the edge of Real Madrid’s penalty area, at times leaving the impression of almost dominating, creating real and potential opportunities, conceding just as many or even more on the restart and in the end losing. Script already read in Madrid at Simeone’s Atletico in December and in the two fatal matches against Bodo Glimt, who also liked him much more on the pitch for their order and intensity.
Only against the English Liverpool and Arsenal had the Nerazzurri created little, mocked by a refereeing error with the Reds or clearly put down by the future Premier League champions. So, the question arises legitimately: is Inter a team with European status and DNA or is the gap with the others too wide? Which translates into the gap that exists between being able to respond “presently” to the mission given by the club to go as far as possible in the Champions League, cultivating the dream of being able to win it, or having to go through it as a fascinating diversion by focusing on the championship.
The answer is not easy to find because the group that in the last three years has pushed itself to the gates of football paradise (finals in Istanbul and Munich), being rejected but not without achieving authentic feats around Europe, seems to have lost its thread and magic touch for ten months.
The numbers are merciless. Since the Metropolitano match against Atletico Madrid, which opened the second half of the group stage of last year’s edition, Inter have lost 6 of the 7 matches they have played in the Champions League: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal, the return leg against Bodo Glimt and now Real Madrid. Only in Dortmund did a victory come against Borussia, not enough in January to avoid the playoff which would then have led to elimination.
Another factual fact: Inter often came out beaten but with better statistics among those that photograph the offensive approach of a match: shots on goal and expected goals. It happened with Atletico Madrid (1.43 to 0.98), in the two matches against Bodo Glimt (1.56 to 1.20 in the first leg and 2.29 to 1.74 in the second leg) and in Dortmund with Borussia (0.99 to 0.84). And even with Arsenal (1.36 against 2.14) and at the Bernabeu (1.82 against 2.91) the offensive production was that of a team with character and play, not at all impressed by the European stage.
Only then the mountain gave birth to a little mouse. Not only 6 defeats out of 7 games, but also only 6 goals scored compared to the almost ten (9.89) expected: one for every 20 shots attempted towards the opponent’s goal and every 6 of those that ended up on target. This figure is unbalanced compared to the 13 goals conceded compared to 11.23 expected goals against, one for every 6.4 shots conceded (2.8 considering those on target by Sommer and Martinez).
The suspicion is that the European Inter, which has demonstrated that it has the athletic and technical means to compete with the rest of Europe, does not need an extra dose of courage and self-esteem but some corrective measures in the details. The goals given to Real Madrid, a few days after the gifts given to Napoli, are a red light that lights up on Chivu’s dashboard. Carelessness is paid dearly, it had already happened when Gimenez scored in injury time against Atletico Madrid; fatal errors, unforgivable at these heights.
