Despite Inter Milan’s form having significantly declined ahead of tonight’s first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, their coach remains defiant. The Italian champions have not won any of their last three matches and have lost their top spot in the Italian league. As a result, Italian media are saying this is a major problem facing coach Simone Inzaghi. The biggest issue the coach needs to decide before tonight’s match is whether to start forward Marcus Thuram in the first 11. The forward, who has missed the last three matches due to muscle pain, is not fully fit. However, the medical team has said he may be able to play.
If Thuram doesn’t start, the coach doesn’t have a trusted player to support captain Lautaro Martinez in the forward line. Mehdi Taremi didn’t perform adequately when given the chance. Additionally, Giuseppe Mezza hasn’t done enough to earn a spot in the starting 11. Joaquin Correa is not listed in the Champions League squad. For these reasons, Italian media say there’s a high chance Davide Frattesi will be played in the starting eleven.
Inter’s coach Inzaghi said losing three consecutive matches just before the Champions League semi-final is very disappointing. “We are very disappointed with these three losses. This is not how we’ve performed before. We need to recover both mentally and physically from this. We will go to Barcelona without fear. With respect, we will play to win,” the coach said. He also stated that Barcelona is currently the best team in Europe. Inter last lifted the Champions League trophy in 2010 after defeating Barcelona in the semi-final and then beating Bayern Munich in the final.
