Inters

Inter will likely be going through Atalanta on December 28, and Richard Corridor examines the place the Benamata have improved and the place they nonetheless need to work forward of the subsequent huge match.

Within the shadow of the Madonnina, change not often whispers; it normally roars. For 3 seasons, Simone Inzaghi was the conductor of a modern, rhythmic orchestra at San Siro, one which prioritised the great thing about the transition and the just about telepathic understanding of a veteran core.

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However as we sit within the chilly mild of December 2025, the Nerazzurri are dancing to a unique, maybe extra frantic, beat beneath Cristian Chivu.

The transition from Inzaghi to the Romanian has been much less of a revolution and extra of a recalibration, however the gears are grinding in methods we didn’t fairly count on.

Inzaghi’s Inter was a masterclass in managed chaos. His 3-5-2 was a security blanket for the followers—a system the place the wing-backs, Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, weren’t simply retailers however main architects. It was “Inzaghiball”: deep-lying playmaking, inviting strain, after which slicing via groups like a sizzling knife via butter.

Chivu, stepping up from the Primavera (after a stint at Parma) with the burden of his personal treble-winning historical past on his shoulders, has stored the 3-5-2 skeleton however has changed the organs. The place Inzaghi was pragmatic, Chivu is daring—arguably to a fault.

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Probably the most jarring distinction is the line of defense. Inzaghi was content material to let the veteran trio drop deep, trusting their positioning to snuff out hazard. Chivu has pushed the road ten yards additional up the pitch. He desires a “vertical” Inter, one which suffocates the opposition in their very own third.

The Excessive Press

VERONA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 02: Petar Sucic of FC Internazionale throughout the Serie A match between Hellas Verona FC and FC Internazionale at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on November 02, 2025 in Verona, Italy. (Photograph by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Photographs)

Underneath Chivu, Inter are urgent with a ferocity we haven’t seen for the reason that early Conte days. The addition of Petar Sučić within the engine room has facilitated this; the teenager gives a “chunk” that the ageing legs of Mkhitaryan typically lacked.

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The Threat Issue

This excessive line has turned Yann Sommer (and infrequently Josep Martínez) right into a de facto sweeper. When it really works, it’s a blue-and-black swarm. When it fails—as we noticed within the bruising defeats to Udinese and Juventus earlier this time period—it leaves the centre-backs uncovered in 1-on-1 foot races they merely can not win.

The most important “plus” of the Chivu period is the combination of youth. Whereas Inzaghi was typically criticised for his “Previous Guard” loyalty, Chivu has been “coraggioso”, courageous.

Pio Esposito & Bonny

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 03: Francesco Pio Esposito of FC Internazionale Milano celebrates scoring his staff’s second objective throughout the Coppa Italia spherical of 16 match between FC Internazionale and Venezia FC at San Siro Stadium on December 03, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photograph by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photographs)

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The emergence of Francesco Pio Esposito and the arrival of Ange-Yoan Bonny have added a bodily, unpredictable dimension to the assault. They don’t simply hyperlink play; they disrupt.

Curiously, Lautaro Martínez appears to have discovered a second wind. Whereas he was the focus beneath Inzaghi, he now operates with extra freedom. With Sučić and Barella pushing greater to win the ball, Lautaro is receiving it nearer to the objective relatively than dropping into the centre circle to assist construct play.

Nonetheless, the Nerazzurri in me fear in regards to the soul of this staff’s defence. The stats don’t lie: Inter are conceding extra objectives per recreation than at any level throughout Inzaghi’s tenure.

The Relaxation Defence

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 09: Ibrahima Konate’ of Liverpool FC scores a disallowed objective throughout the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Section MD6 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Liverpool FC at Stadio San Siro on December 09, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photograph by Marco Luzzani/Getty Photographs)

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The construction of the staff whereas they’re in possession is presently Chivu’s Achilles’ heel. By committing so many our bodies ahead, notably the wing-backs and Alessandro Bastoni (who Chivu permits to roam even additional than Inzaghi did), Inter are extremely inclined to the counter-attack. The defeat in opposition to Milan within the Derby was a primary instance; a single misplaced go within the closing third led to a vertical dash that left the Inter defence wanting like statues.

Is Chivu the proper man? He’s definitely the “Inter” man. He understands the membership’s DNA, and his willingness to bench established stars for the sake of tactical self-discipline is a breath of recent air. He has made Inter extra thrilling, however considerably much less secure.

Inzaghi gave us trophies and a way of “inevitability.” Chivu is giving us a rollercoaster. As we head into the winter break, the Nerazzurri sit inside touching distance of the highest, however the defensive fragility means that in the event that they don’t discover a steadiness between Chivu’s high-pressing beliefs and Inzaghi’s structural self-discipline, the Scudetto would possibly stay a dream.

The romantic in me loves the bravery; the critic in me fears the area behind the again three. San Siro awaits the second half of this experiment with bated breath.