MILAN - At the end of the first half, only one team seemed to be in it and that was Inter. We were aggressive and determined, putting Juventus under real pressure. Nainggolan raised the roof at San Siro with an absolute screamer. At points, possession was around 80 per cent and we created lots and lots of chances. In the second half however, Juventus came into the game and levelled through Cristiano Ronaldo. So? At times, a draw is a fair result in football even if the figures say something slightly different.
We put Allegri’s side up against it with 54.7% of possession, 56.3% of duels won, 539 passes completed with an accuracy rate of 86.6% and 111,371 km covered. Tangible signs that Inter were in the match from the off as the work from the week paid off in the early exchanges. Nainggolan’s heatmap paid testament to his direct style of play with 66.7% of his passes going forward and he contributed at both ends, making ten defensive challenges.
It was the Ninja to spark San Siro’s celebrations (14 of the Belgians 40 Serie A goals have come from outside the box) and Perisic was on fire also. Ivan was unfortunate to find himself up against Szczesny but he created six chances and four shots from inside the area. From one Croatian to another. Brozovic also did well after his spell on the sidelines, he was the most accurate passer on the pitch with 82 passes completed and he also hit his target with 100 per cent of his crosses.
Politano and D’Ambrosio also made an impact as they showed their reliability at this final part of the campaign. In addition to being the Italian defender with the most assists this season, D’Ambrosio finished the game yesterday with a 100 per cent tackle success rate and his challenge on Pereira at the end proved to be a crucial one.
Finally, we have gone five unbeaten (two wins and three draws) for the first time since January. We’re now ready for the final run-in with European football at stake. The team showed that they can do it with their performance yesterday and it’s on us to back them all the way. Forza Inter!
