A goal in each half and Inzaghi continues his winning run. In the second half Cheddira posts
Inter arrives at the Italian derby on Sunday 26th ahead of Juventus. Inzaghi will enjoy the break from the top of the table, +2 on the Bianconeri, thanks to the victory over Frosinone, a success resulting from Dimarco’s prowess and the penalty won by the elusive Thuram. The Scudetto race is now a head-to-head between the Nerazzurri and the Bianconeri as third-placed Milan are 8 points behind the leaders and fourth-placed Napoli are even at -10. Inzaghi against Allegri will be the catchphrase of the break and probably of the rest of the season. Even if this Inter, which has won the sixteenth match of the last 19 in Serie A and has both the best attack and the best defense of the tournament, is a team capable of sending important signals to the competition. Di Francesco tries to make her life difficult, but Sommer’s wall resists: it is the clean sheets number 8 in 12 matchdays (Onana made the same number in the entire last championship), the tenth of the season. “Heavy” numbers which, Juve aside, have already created a void with the others. The break for Inzaghi will be sweet, even if the Italian derby at the restart does not allow him to distract himself.
HAPPY FROSINONE
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To go in search of the sixth victory in a row after the October break (goal achieved), Inzaghi chooses the very starting players and, with the recovery of Dumfries (injured in Salzburg), Darmian moves back to the three-man line behind. In front is Lautaro, who in the pre-match was awarded as the best player in Serie A in October. Di Francesco responds by tweaking the tactical structure: no 4-2-3-1, but space for the 3-4-2-1 with Monterisi, Okoli and Marchizza in defence, Soulé and Reinier behind the lone striker Cuni. Anyone expecting a tight-knit Frosinone, focusing on counterattacks, is disappointed because the guests raise the pressure to disturb the Nerazzurri’s build-up and, when they have the ball, they attack with many men trying to cause damage as demonstrated by the two shots from the edge in the first few 16 minutes: first Barrenechea shoots high, then Soulé challenges Sommer. Inter manage the pace, but cannot extend themselves too much because Soulé and Reinier are a danger between the lines. Inzaghi gets angry for an advantage not granted by Dionisi to his team (Mkhitaryan launched towards the goal) and for some errors in the passes, but when the European vice-champions miss the first pressure, a super save by Turati on Lautaro is needed to avoid the 1-0.
DIMARCO MAGIC
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The match was pleasant and Frosinone attacked with personality and speed, forcing Darmian and Acerbi to make important interventions. Inter lack a bit of push on the right because, if Dimarco is a thorn in the side on the left and often receives the ball in a dangerous area, Dumfries is not there on the other lane. Di Francesco loses the injured Mazzitelli after half an hour (trouble in his left calf; Brescianini replaced him), but the tactical score does not change: the Nerazzurri often reach the back, almost always on the left, the guests cover the center of the ball well area. It takes a play to blow up Frosinone’s castle and that “play” is made by Dimarco who with his left foot draws a 56 meter long parabola which, shortly after half the pitch, from the lateral foul line, goes out behind Turati, too advanced. It is not a missed cross, but a sought-after conclusion, after receiving the ball from Mkhitaryan and skipping past Lirola. A crazy magic, to tell to your children and grandchildren. The Inter bench and all of San Siro applaud in disbelief, Sommer puts his hands in his hair. However, Frosinone’s reaction is there: Soulé takes advantage of an error by Dimarco and forces Acerbi to finish in style. We go to half-time at 1-0 and for the fourteenth time out of sixteen official matches, Sommer’s goal is clean at half-time.
CALHA PENALTY
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Inter restarted very strongly and after two minutes with a slalom in the area Thuram won a penalty after being fouled by Okoli in a slide: from eleven meters Calhanoglu converted, wrong-footing Turati. For the Turk it is the eleventh penalty out of eleven taken since he has been at Inter, the fourteenth out of fourteen since he has been in Italy. The Nerazzurri came close to making it 3-0 with a header from Dumfries and a high shot from Darmian. Di Francesco understands that he has to change something to shake things up, so he throws Cheddira and Ibrahimovic into the mix for Lirola and Cuni and returns to the 4-2-3-1. The reaction is immediate and Cheddira hits the post (it is Frosinone’s tenth of the season) with Sommer beaten. Inzaghi responds by replacing Dumfries, who has now run out of petrol, with De Vrij: the Dutchman goes into defense and Darmian moves to the flank. Sommer defuses a shot from Marchizza, then Mkhitaryan fails to find the hat trick following an assist from Dimarco. Ibrahimovic (Arijon) tries to do what another Ibrahimovic (Zlatan) has done many times at the Meazza, that is, goals, but Sommer responds while still present. Inter faces the last twenty minutes with Arnautovic and Frattesi replacing Thuram and Mkhitaryan: the intent to manage the result is clear. Frosinone tries, but pays for tiredness and surrenders to the fifth defeat out of five in their history against Inter. Sensi and Carlos Augusto also come on for the final piece, with Meazza mocking their AC Milan cousins and Lautaro failing to make it 3-0. The Bull he gets angry, but then celebrates with the others. The message has been sent to Juventus.
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