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Serhiy Shevchenko – on Pitmen’s opponents in the decider of the Champions League group stage.
A few months have passed since the August semi-final of the Europa League, and Inter and Shakhtar play again in a decisive match. This time, the designs are much more complicated. Group B before the sixth round is a tangled intertwining of threads, where the result of one match clings to the other, which is only the option, when Inter’s victory opens an opportunity for Real and Borussia to play a draw against each other. satisfactory.
Inter as a candidate for the “scudetto” is always in sight, but the current state of the team is changing rapidly. What does the closest rival to the Ukrainian champion breathe?
Inter got in shape
A little less than a month ago we wrote about the failures of Antonio Conte’s team. Inter lost points in the championship many times and suffered in the Champions League, which allowed us to speak of a crisis. Since then, the Nerazzurri have been added. Three points in Mönchengladbach are a lifesaver for the Champions League group stage, and the matches against Sassuolo and Bologna (both opponents are traditionally considered inconvenient for the “interistas”) ended in confident victories. There are still deficiencies in defense, but this is made up for by play at the wrong gate. It is typical for Inter to score three goals in three straight games. This stability is alarming. “Nerazzurri” is definitely stronger than in October, when Shakhtar held out thanks to Trubin’s saves and the referee’s favor.
Lukaku is not alone
Inter’s attack is back in good shape. Lukaku is the undisputed leader, a goal scoring machine and an enraged rhino that defenders scatter in horror, but the team has learned to cope without him. Lautaro Martínez became the hero of Sassuolo’s defeat: the Argentine did not score, but pressed with zeal, forced his opponents to make mistakes and helped his teammates. His November uniform gives reason to remember who was the protagonist of the August defeat of the Pitmen. Note that Martinez was saved in the final round of the championship, which means that we are expecting a fresh and cheerful Lautaro at Shakhtar.
Hakimi is back in business
Another player whose condition became a problem at some point. Hakimi started off brilliantly this season and looked like the perfect reinforcement on Inter’s right flank. Dexterous, technical, flying fast down the sidewalk: Ashraf managed to exercise himself on defense and exploded into the opponent’s penalty area, as if he were inside, not lateral. In November, however, his game began to decline. On the eve of the Champions League opening round, the Moroccan passed a false positive test for coronavirus, for which he briefly abandoned the game and training process. A brief hiatus turned out to be critical, and Hakimi, having returned, had several weak matches. It got to the point where another newcomer, Matteo Darmian, started playing. Hakimi, however, remembered himself in a duel with Bologna, scoring two goals with style and even a left foot that didn’t work. Now Conte has a wide choice on the right: Darmian, in turn, scored Borussia, and also had time to rest, but Hakimi deserves a breath. In any case, we do not envy the Miner’s left flank.
Losses in the center of the field
There is practically no choice in midfield. Arturo Vidal, one of Conte’s favorite footballers, will definitely not play: the Chilean injured his thigh during the match with Bologna. You can see Borussia was beaten without him (Vidal was serving a suspension), and he is indeed an unbridled guy, but Arturo’s fighting spirit and versatility would definitely come in handy in the deciding match.
The participation of Nicolo Barella, who did not train the day before the game due to ankle problems, is questionable. If Barella also retires, also the most key player, Conte will have to solve the main team’s problem. Who to add Brozovic and Gagliardini? Nainggolan is injured, Sensi barely plays (5 games, 127 minutes this season) and Eriksen does not fit the tactic.
Conte’s favorite player
Sometimes one wonders: why does Conte trust Gagliardini so much? This center is far from being a top-level player. Rustic style of play, medium technique, sometimes sheer clumsiness. However, Roberto appears at the base with enviable regularity. The answer is in the style of play, suitable for Conte’s tactics. Gagliardini is strong, physically strong, disciplined, good on the second floor and no special skills are required to create plays from him. Here it is clearly not worth underestimating the striking qualities of this guy: the beauty of his goal against Sassuolo will be the envy of many strikers with “trequartistas”. Roberto approaches the game with the fully armed Miner.
Substitution or humiliation?
The opposite of Gagliardini is Christian Eriksen. The most talented Dane is going through an unpleasant period in his career. Apparently, it is time to affirm that his attempt to play for Inter was crowned with failure. Conte tried to correct the scheme, setting 3-4-1-2, but even in this format, Eriksen didn’t show up. The current position of this player borders on humiliation: Christian is released only during the final minutes, he does not even have time to touch the ball. Things are moving towards an early separation, perhaps even in winter.
Negative experience
The current state of Inter leaves no room for doubt: this is a clear match favorite, for Shakhtar even a draw will be a great achievement. Only recent history testifies against the “Nerazzurri”. These are the team’s failures in the last rounds of the Champions League group stage. A year ago, Inter at home lost to the semi-leg team of Barcelona, and two years ago they failed to beat PSV, and in both cases the rival was deprived of the motivation of the tournament. How can we not remember Conte’s difficult relationship with the Champions League? Now, however, even a victory does not guarantee the “interistas” access to the playoffs.
The Inter – Shakhtar match will take place today, December 9, at 22:00 Kiev time. In Football.ua An online broadcast of the meeting will be available.
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