Inter Milan hopes for the big coup in the Champions League. Routine like Henrikh Mkhitaryan should help – but experience does not protect against setbacks. It didn’t go smoothly for Inter.
You don’t forget old acquaintances. Even if you can disappear from consciousness in the meantime. If you suddenly appear, a lot is again what it used to be.
In the case of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, a large number of football fans in Germany should have been done when they are the Armenian against FC Bayern in the quarter -finals of the Champions League Have a swirl across the square. And this has worked intensively on the fact that Bayern early Inter Milan left out of the competition.
“Isn’t that the former Dortmund?”may have been one of the most common questions in the living rooms. Yes, that was and is he. Now 36 years old, the hair a little light, but this Mkhitaryan has still lost nothing of his joy of running and exceptional football skills. Admittedly, he no longer sprints up and down the outer lane continuously like at BVB, where he played for three years, that was over a decade. But he made an impression.
Fabulous BVB season
Back then, in the 2015/16 season, Mkhitaryan had an almost incredible record. In all competitions, he got 23 goals and 32 assists in 52 competitive games. “You have no idea how incredibly well Miki played this year”his former Dortmund player Mats Hummels recently announced.
Afterwards Mkhitaryan started a trip through Europe (Manchester United, FC Arsenal, as Rome) where he did not always show what his skills had promised. Now he seems to have found his late luck in Milan.
Always in the starting eleven
But Mkhitaryan also goes through changes. He now acts more out of the somewhat more defensive midfield, especially supported by a certain Hakan Calhanoglu. Also such a familiar face from good old Bundesliga times. The now 31 -year -old free kick specialist has been born in Mannheim and had left traces at Hamburger SV or Bayer 04 Leverkusen in this country.
In the Milanese, Calhanoglu has developed into a top European force. National player Nicolo Barella (28) rounds off the technically highly experienced and extremely strong midfield triumvirate at Inter.
Mkhitaryan is always right in the middle of this team, which no longer wants to do without him – and probably cannot at all. If it is healthy and does not prevent a lock, he is actually always in the starting eleven. True to the motto of Otto Rehagel, Inter-Coach Simone Inzaghi is based on its principle: “There are no old or young players, just good or bad.”
On a steep success
Whether defender, midfielder, attacker: the age obviously does not matter for the coach. He attaches much more importance to the understanding of the game and team compatibility with the given physical fitness. A “Super-intelligent players“As Mkhitaryan, he was allowed to train, Inzaghi recently noticed. And this approach pays off.
Inzaghi has once again shaped Inter a European top team. Last but not least, the Nerazzurri are on a steep chance of success after Mkhitaryan’s change around two and a half years ago, they are reigning Italian champions, won the cup competition beforehand and twice in a row. Reaching the semi -finals in the European premier class seamlessly joins this remarkable balance.
Now they want to venture the really big coup and the old days – the club has been able to win the competition three times so far. “I won everything in Italy. Now my goal is, too Champions League to win”says Calhanoglu.
Unexpected setbacks
The “Old“How the time -honored sports newspaper with the pink coloring “Gazzetta Dello Sport“Inter recently titled, it seems to be difficult to stop. But: Experience also does not protect against setbacks.
Most recently there was two 0: 1 bankruptcy in Serie A in a row, with which the SSC Naples, four games before the end of the season, moved past the Milanese with a three-point lead over the table. In addition, Inter is at the big city rival AC Milan In the cup competition – after a 0: 3 in the semi -final round – failed. They have rarely lost to Inter under coach Inzaghi this season – and now three times in a row. Inzaghi said: “I’m worried.”
Will Thuram get fit in time?
One of the current (goal) problems of the Milanese is the lack of striker and striker Marcus Thuram (31 games in Serie A, 14 goals). The former Gladbacher suffered an adductor injury in the second leg against FCB and had to pause.
However, there is at least hope that the 27-year-old can participate against FC Barcelona. Thuram is already in training. The club looks every day what is possible when it comes to Thuram, Inter said.
Last chance?
Thuram would be a possible buyer for Mkhitaryan’s passports, for whom it may be the last chance to win the Champions League. The reserved inter-driver will turn up again properly. So he always did it. Nobody should be surprised anymore.