The Granata coach on the eve of the match against the Nerazzurri: “Already as children we train to play these matches. And if it isn’t decisive in awarding the scudetto, it could change our path”
A courageous Turin to try to stop Inter. On the eve of the match against the Nerazzurri (tomorrow, 6pm, Olimpico Grande Torino), Granata coach Roberto D’Aversa outlines the difficulties, but also the opportunities of the match. With the aim of taking a step forward after the draw in Cremona. “We will be facing a team that is about to win the Scudetto and will play in the Italian Cup final. Facing them is difficult, it is for everyone, but it is not written anywhere that it is impossible to beat them. They have scored many goals against many different teams, so attention and quality must be raised. We must repeat the level of the latest internal performances (victories against Lazio, Parma and Verona, ed) showing determination, heart and above all the ability to score goals. We need 120% performance. It may not be enough, but we must not leave defeated. It is a match that must be faced with honour. After Cremona I insisted on how we should have managed the ball, on the many technical errors and the aerial duels in which we always came second, especially in the first half. There we expected a different game, we hoped for a full result. Now I would like us to go onto the pitch with the desire to be proactive and impose our game. I asked to be able to bring personality, to show everything that we didn’t show in Cremona. Having reached 40 points, our first objective, it is nice to compete with those who are better than us and do it with ambition. There is no margin for error, we need the pride of bringing home a positive result even against the future Italian champions.”
the route
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D’Aversa insisted on the opportunity that a match like this represents. “When you face the team that is about to win the championship at home, what other motivations do you have to have? Even as children we train to play these matches. And if it isn’t decisive in awarding the championship, it could change our path. We have started an important journey, in home games in particular. I want to see determination, the desire to put the opponents in difficulty and to sweat the shirt.” The coach then underlined some tactical aspects. And here comes the discussion about courage. “Challenging Inter by playing with one less striker and one more midfielder could also make sense, but it all depends on the interpretation. Inter also play with two strikers, but when it comes to defending they are all ten under the line of the ball and this is a very important aspect for me. The fact of having Zapata and Simeone as starters from the first day was a signal that I gave to the team: if I ask to have courage, then I can’t be the one not to show it. Starting with a more midfielder would not be a bad idea, but I have five attackers to exploit, and let’s remember that the results obtained so far are also the result of this courage Vlasic? The coach also took stock of the condition of Duvan Zapata, who returned to training this week. “I control everything a bit, and the fact that he returned with significant weight values has a great meaning for me. When I first arrived I insisted on the importance of being professional. From this point of view, the captain who shows up with a weight close to that of his best physical condition is a fundamental signal. How many minutes will he play? It depends. Maybe he isn’t 90, but his is the structure of someone who plays the more he gets in better condition.”
possibility
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D’Aversa also took stock of some players. “There was a lot of talk about Ilkhan in the media during the week. I want to remember that when I arrived he was coming off an expulsion, then he had a commitment with the Turkish national team and came back with some physical problems. Last week I said that he deserved to come in at Cremona, which had put me in doubt about the formation. He is giving that continuity that he hadn’t had before and which now can also allow him to leave. Lazaro is another of those players who put you in difficulty in your choices: against Inter he could find space, we had some physical problems on some other players. I just say it’s a shame, he was growing physically. He’s a strong player who has had several problems in his career, let’s not forget that he comes from Chelsea. There’s no question about his qualities, he’s very strong.”
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