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Inter won, Napoli won and AC Milan won. At reble of wins for Serie A's top three. None of them dominated but all of them got the expected three points. With six games left, and three teams within five points, anything can happen. But how could AC Milan drop more points than their two rivals against Sampdoria, Brescia, Bologna, Roma, Cagliari, Udinese?
Of course, AC Milan could throw away the title but it is very unlikely. Everything seems to be going in the right direction for Rossoneri - Ibrahimovic's red card in Florence is just the latest evidence, as Allegri will be forced for the next two-three games to field a more suitable partner alongside Pato.
In the third home game in a row, Inter defeated Chievo 2-0 after two painful defeats against AC Milan and Schalke. Despite two goals and a clean sheet it wasn't an easy win. Nerazzurri looked like they were still recovering after being knocked down twice in the last week.
Leonardo chose to rotate some players - Thiago Motta and Sneijder out, Kharja and Stankovic in. Nagatomo on the left and Lucio back alongside Ranocchia were the other changes. Chievo looked livelier but Inter were the best team. Cambiasso, restored in his favourite central midfield position, played with the old composure and also broke the deadlock at the minute 65. Lucio and Nagatomo were the best players for the home side in a game that was worth watching if only to admire a splendid Thiago Motta assist and Maicon's grand finale. The goal scored at the minute 84 gave the Brazilian an extra boost and he did more in the remaining six minutes than in the last 3-4 months. Hopefully he will show more in Gelsenkirchen.
And so Schalke again. After Chievo's game Samuel Eto'o tried to inspire his teammates: "At Barcelona we defeated Getafe in the first leg 5-1 then we lost the second 4-0. In football everything is possible. We can win 4-0 in Germany".
Man of the match: NAGATOMO. The Japanese fullback must be in the starting 11 more often. His offensive qualities are well known and he's proving to be a very effective and focused defender as well.
Serie A 2010-11 / Day 32
INTER-CHIEVO 2-0
Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Ranocchia, Nagatomo; J.Zanetti, Cambiasso, Stankovic (46' Sneijder); Kharja; Pazzini (61' Milito), Eto’o (74' Thiago Motta). Coach: Leonardo
Chievo: Sorrentino; Sardo, Andreolli, Mandelli, Jokic; Fernandes, Rigoni, Constant (76'
Marcolini); Bogliacino (74' Uribe); Moscardelli (56' Thereau), Pellissier. Coach: Pioli
Referee: Giannoccaro
Goals: Cambiasso 65’, Maicon 84'
Yellow card: Sardo
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Comments
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Posted by Sam on 04/11/2011
Yeah fair assessment of the game. Inter looked nervous which was to be expected after the two wallopings we got but they gradually grew into the game and secured a nice win. Nagatomo must be in there for the next match. He adds spark and an harrassment quality his pace provides that others in the team cannot match.
Inter fans should not expect to overturn the first leg result. It would be a fantastic gift but highly unlikely. Hopefully we can secure a win, restoring a bit of pride.
As for the Scudetto, as Gianni rightly says, it is def. Milan'sto lose. Only the Roma and Udinese games should pose any real problem but Udinese havent looked like the same team since the international break. All Inter can do is keep trying to win. I would be happy with a top three finish this year to be honest. I also hope that Leonardo gives a few of the fringe players a run in the coppa, players such as Mariga and Coutinho could use it!
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Posted by Moises on 04/11/2011
Good to see the team win again. I might sound naive but I do believe these guys CAN win 4-0, Schalke will do their thing but I think that if Inter scores early Schalke might freak out and we could probably feel the same joy we felt when Inter beat Bayern last time.
Inter will beat Schalke, even if they don't score 4 goals these team has pride.
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Posted by Austin on 04/11/2011
Eto'o is right. Anything can happen in soccer. Keep your fingers crossed.
I think Chivu has got to go and this last game is a great indicator of that. Nagatomo/Santon (as a backup when he's back) on the left, Ranocchia/Lucio/Samuel in the mid, Maicon on the right. In my mind Chivu isn't of the quality of those mentioned, much like Burdisso he just doesn't have the composure. Bring in some youth players to strengthen.
AC Milan looked good for the title against Fiorentina honestly, but three games without Ibra (albeit against Samp, Brescia and Bologna) could prove to be their downfall. Part of the reason AC played so well this weekend was Ibra's hold up play and passing. Then again even without Ibra AC does well. It's all up to luck and passion at this point, but I will say I'll be happier if Napoli wins then AC (even though Gianni swears they aren't contenders)
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Posted by Sia on 04/11/2011
Milan will tie or lose to either Brescia or Cagliari, Udi will be the toughest threat to Milan's Scudetto dream, which ironicly is the last match of the season.
I don't think Roma can do much, but I'm hoping that I'm wrong.
Inter needs a miracle against Schalke, but in football anything is possible. Milito will shine against Schalke and could be the decisive reason for Inter's comeback.
FORZA NERAZZURRI
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Posted by footyfetish on 04/12/2011
I was hoping Milan would drop points at Fiorentina, but that didn't happen, so it's their title to lose at this point. And, I agree, Ibra's red card is really a blessing in disguise for them. The Inter game was tough, more so than it should've been, and Chievo could've scored one or two with a little bit of luck. I liked Nagatomo, it was his second good game as a starter (after the one where he played at right-back) but again, he's got to prove himself against better opposition than the sorry Chievo. I still think he's liable defensively and very weak in the air. Actually Chievo almost scored when they crossed a ball over him that was headed back into the box. That play is there all day and a better team could easily exploit that. I see many people here are piling up on Chivu, who's had 2 games to forget, but I still think he should be the regular starter, the guy is (normally) top class. Having said that, Nagatomo should start the CL game on Wed (even if Chivu had not been suspended).
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Posted by Tunde on 04/12/2011
@footyfetish, I don't think Nagatomo is weak defensively, he is one of our better defenders, What are you going to say about Maicon, who is always in no man's land in defence and looks all the time disinterested.
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Posted by footyfetish on 04/12/2011
@Tunde-- from a defensive standpoint I'm no fan of Maicon, either, I've said that many times on the boards here. I stand by what I said about Nagatomo until proven wrong (and I'm rooting for the li'l guy!) He has to prove himself against strong opposition, during the course of a season or two, before anyone can claim he's a good defender. By comparison, Chivu's been one of the top defenders in Europe for the last ten years, so you can't argue with that. But, I'm sure Nagatomo will be getting more bites at the cherry this season and I hope he starts proving me wrong as soon as Wednesday!
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Posted by Tunde on 04/12/2011
@footfetish, Chivu has never been a great defender, he is average at best, even last year that we won the treble, he was our weakest link. His performance this year has been pathetic.I have never seen this in Barcelona, Real, Chelsea,Manu and the other big teams where one player has single handedly destroyed a team's chances for silverware.Chivu did it. within a span of 5 days, destroyed Inter's season by picking two red cards.
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Posted by footyfetish on 04/12/2011
@Tunde-- Chivu was anything but our weakest link last season. He had great games against both Barca and Bayern, where he had to deal with their most dangerous players, Messi and Robben respectively (though, of course, Cambiasso shadowed Messi as well), and neither one of them did much in the way of goals/assists, etc. Then you say his performance has been pathetic this year-- really?! The entire year? You must mean the last two games, right? If so, that IS true, but you also have to look at the circumstances-- coming back from injury, playing out of position, partnering with a virtual rookie (Ranocchia) for the first time, etc, etc. Besides, you can't possibly lay it all at the feet of one player. Then again, if that's what makes you sleep at night...
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Posted by Tunde on 04/12/2011
@footyfetish, we're both Inter supporters and we want the best out of our team. let's be honest, to compete against the best in Europe we have to get rid of the following players Chivu, Materazzi, Cordoba and khadja. Stankovich can retire or be a good bench player.Cambiasso and Motta should not longer be automatic first choice. Our midfield is so slow and can't press, this was the observation of the Schalke's coach and used this to his team's advantage.
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Posted by footyfetish on 04/12/2011
@Tunde-- I agree with most of what you say. I kinda like Kharja, to be honest, I think he can develop into a great player. Our midfield is slow and lazy this season, I've also said this several times here, which puts a lot of pressure on the defense. Stankovich can still play for another couple of years, so long as he still has that long-distance shot in his repertoire, while Motta has been very disappointing lately (the curse of the Azzurri shirt!) I'm not married to Chivu, so I don't mind if he's relegated to the bench provided there's a top notch replacement, I just don't think it's that easy to find one. For me, Nagatomo's more like a winger than a fullback, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's deployed there (like Gareth Bale, who also started out as a fullback). Speaking of, that would be a good catch if Inter can afford him.
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Posted by Pietro on 04/12/2011
I think you can't compare Nagatomo to Chivu now but in perspective he can do a better job on the left
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Posted by Olaseni on 04/12/2011
Dream on dreamer! Forza Milan.
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Posted by Connor on 04/12/2011
@footyfetish @Tunde
I agree with both of you. Chivu can be good but can be a complete failure. I think we do need to offload some players, Materazzi, Cordoba, Chivu(?) Kharja, Motta, etc. We need young players in the back that can keep up with the likes of Messi. Lucio and Samuel are brilliant defenders but they can so easily get burned. We need young talent, something Inter needs to BUY and not wait for the youth to come through. We've got great defenders on the Primevera like Caldirola but we need a few more years to grow them.
Nagatomo is a good player, don't get me wrong, but I don't think he's Inter quality. He's Serie A quality no doubt, but Inter need to show their strength in Europe, and Nagatomo lacks in that aspect. Santon is very much our future and I swear if Inter sell him, I'll tweak. He's a great young player and he's doing nothing but growing into a mint player at Cesena.
Forza Nerazzuri
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Posted by Sam on 04/12/2011
Interesting discussion about the team and Chivu in particular . For me Chivu is a liability. He can be awesome and on occasion has been our best player on the pitch but far far to often he has been at fault in situations that has cost us matches. Playing on the left he is too often caught by pacy players whilst in the centre his lack of discipline and timing has been shown by his two reds. He is past his best and should not be a starter. As for the rest of the team I think it is a nice idea to bring in new and exciting young players but often this idea doesnt pan out in reality. Inter are playing a new system under Leo and some players are struggling to adapt. First we must see if Leo is retained and if he is then players who do not fit his system need to leave. We must be careful not to shift systems too quickly however or else the horror years of the 90's will come back where we bought anyone regardless of whether they fit in. Continuity is vitally important in successful football.
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Posted by Varun on 04/12/2011
Chivu is a complete liability. Whoever says he deserves to be on that team surely is judging him lightly. Ever since his head injury he has been half the player he used to be. He has been good on occasion but seeing him commit errors is something that fans almost expect now and some are seemingly ready to forgive. For next year, it is time that Inter overhaul their backline and defence a bit. Maicon will be 30 and he has not been the same player as last year, doubt whether he can continue to be honestly. Lucio and Samuel as a pair have one or two more good years in them, so Inter need someone to be groomed. Ranocchia is the right choice, but they need to buy another defender.
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Posted by footyfetish on 04/13/2011
I don't think a wholesale overhaul will happen. That's what Benitez wanted and soon as he asked for it he got the boot. On the other hand I can see Moratti's point. You don't want to mess too much with a team that just won everything. There are some talented young players in the Primavera squad and Leo (or whoever will be the coach next season) can break them in slowly. I think Santon's far from the form he showed a couple of years ago (I say leave him where he is right now for another season), but there are other players there who already played in the big squad last year, like Alibec. Also, I forget what happened to Arnautovic. Was he sold outright or is he on loan?
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Posted by robbie on 04/13/2011
arnautovic was sold outright
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Posted by Sam on 04/13/2011
We never actually owned Arnautovic. We had simply loaned him from his Dutch club but he never convinced enough to actually buy
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Posted by Scott Meier on 04/13/2011
Come on now! 5 straight unanswered goals! Anything can happen in football!
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Posted by Austin on 04/14/2011
Well,
I think we can all agree that the outcome of the second leg wasn't surprising. That being said, Leonardo used pretty much the same tactics he did in the first leg. Subbing of Stankovic at halftime for Pandev instead of getting Thiago Motta out of there was downright silly (he scored the goal, but lets be serious it had nothing to do with skill), and we were noticeably lacking in width. Our defense looked better and the first leg aside we looked...well...O.K. I guess, but certainly not the "memorable" performance we needed. Oh well, Scudetto is still a possibility.
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Posted by Sam on 04/14/2011
Pretty much what was expected. The only way we were going to get back was to score a couple in the first half and hope that Schalke panicked. No shame in the loss although the goals were once again soft, products of individual mistakes.
Inter fans have to move on from this and not set their sights too high for the rest of the season. To be honest I cant see us winning the coppa and I think a top three would be sufficient in the league. That, to me, would be an ok for what has been an unusual season. After the Benetiz disaster, this season has had the feel of a transitionary one, where targets were reduced and changes occur. Inter fans must hope that the powers that be sit down at the end of it and find a direction. Either maintain the status quo, keep majority of players and play more conservative football; or overhaul the squad, introduce more youth and incorporate a more aggressive game plan which would be risky but could pay dividends in a few years.
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About
Gianni Serra is a European football journalist. He currently writes for lechampions.it, covering international club competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, the CAF Champions League, the O-League. You can follow him on twitter: @gianniserra20
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