Lele Adani says Internazionale’s slow play and poor defensive reactions allowed Milan to expose their weaknesses in Saturday’s derby, warning that rival teams are beginning to catch up.
Speaking on Sunday Sports, Adani said Milan’s strengths highlighted problems in Internazionale’s performance, particularly when the hosts attempted to defend with a compact shape.
“When your formation is compact, you have to close down the space,” he said. “When Pulisic scored, Yann Bisseck simply watched him before making a desperate attempt to intervene.”
Adani also criticised Internazionale’s positioning for Milan’s second goal. Rabiot called for the ball, but Nicolo Barella was eight metres away, allowing Milan to take control. He said Milan pressed effectively, won possession in midfield and moved the ball quickly into open areas, while Barella’s careless loss of possession contributed to the third goal.
“Of course you have to defend, but if you press as you did on Saturday, how can you recover?” Adani added.
He pointed to another lapse involving Petar Sucic, who was slow to track back. Cristian Chivu had instructed Internazionale to move forward together, but Adani questioned how Luka Modric had been allowed to release the ball so easily.
“Internazionale’s marking was poor, and their recovery runs were even worse,” he said.
Adani later highlighted an incident in which Alessandro Bastoni pressed high before raising his hands in frustration because Sucic was 10 metres away from Diego Moreira. In his view, Internazionale were less able than usual to respond once Milan applied pressure.
They needed to improve after half-time, Adani said, but created very few chances and barely managed any shots. He therefore described Milan’s victory as deserved.
He acknowledged that injuries among Internazionale’s forwards offered some explanation for Chivu’s difficulties. The team has developed a specific way of playing based on controlling possession and counter-pressing, and disruption to that structure has affected its performance.
There is also a psychological element, Adani argued. Internazionale have lost three of their past 40 Serie A matches, with all three defeats coming against Milan.
However, he said the tactical changes had involved more than replacing the lone striker. Andy Diouf had been moved into the centre, Spence had been introduced and the rotation had also changed, while some players had yet to reach the required level.
Excluding Saturday’s game, Internazionale had recorded the best start to a season in the club’s history after nine matches. Yet Adani said the side had not always looked secure, with hesitation evident in a number of victories that had not prompted serious questions.
“Internazionale have the stronger squad and must remain humble,” he concluded. “They need to improve their training methods, work ethic and tempo. They cannot continue playing this slowly, otherwise every team will make beating Internazionale its objective. They won six of their first seven matches, but other teams are catching up.”
