Inter Club Focus: Nerazzurri come unstuck at home

Date: 26th March 2014 at 6:24pm
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Internazionale blew their chances of gaining fourth place by losing 2-1 at home to an inform Atalanta side at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in round 29 of Serie A.

This loss brought an end to the Nerazzurri’s undefeated streak as they failed to overcome an early goal from Giacomo Bonaventura who gave the Orobici the lead in the 35th minute, despite equalising soon after. Fredy Guarin played Mauro Icardi through on goal with a great pass and the Argentine forward didn’t think twice about making it 1-1.

A strong second half showing from Inter failed to see them capitalise on edging the share of possession at 52% and raining a total of 22 shots at Atalanta’s goal. Instead, the away side won a free kick in the dying minutes and Bonaventura was left unmarked to head in and steal all three points for the visitors.

It was a dismal goal for Inter to concede and was alas all too reminiscent of the sloppy defensive mistakes which have plagued the Nerazzurri throughout this league campaign, up until their recent undefeated streak. To leave Bonaventura unmarked when Ricky Alvarez or Jonathan were near him was extremely disappointing and Walter Mazzarri will have berated his players afterwards for their lapse in concentration.

The mixture of defensive mistakes and an inability to finish off their chances cost Inter victory in this match. Much like the Beneamata’s defensive flaws, failing to convert shots on goal has been an issue all season. Despite amassing 22 shots at the opposition’s goal, Inter only managed six on target, a pitiful amount. Combine this with four attempts which the woodwork and it is even more damning.

Icardi - interInter’s worst moment came when Icardi had a shot deflected onto the post after missing from only three yards out and minutes from the final whistle. It summarised a frustrating evening for Inter and one which they will wish to forget in a hurry.

To make matters worse for Inter, Parma continued to climb the table and are now level with the Nerazzurri on 47 points. This could jeopardise the club’s qualification for the Europa League next season, even if fourth is still a possible target.

Mazzarri spoke to Sky Italia of his frustrations at his side’s profligacy in front of goal, but was clear to give Atalanta the credit they deserved.

“It was a real shame to lose this game, we had plenty of chances to go ahead but we failed to take advantage of them.

“Atalanta came here and made a real game of it, we produced a great second-half but we missed too many guilt-edged chances.

“We were also unlucky to hit the woodwork three times but this is how it goes, I cannot blame any of the boys, only the errors that they punished us for at the end of the game.”

Inter now face a midweek clash against Udinese in round 30 as they aim to bounce back from their disappointment. The Zebrette have endured a torrid league campaign and find themselves in 14th place in the league table. It is worth noting that Inter’s opponents have gotten the better of them on the previous two occasions both sides have met at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza and Mazzarri’s side will be cautious in their play.

Andrea Ranocchia is expected to extend his recent run in the back three, after turning in another decent performance against Atalanta, winning 75% of his aerial duels. Hernanes will be relied upon to provide the spark to open up Udinese’s defence, searching out the runs of Rodrigo Palacio and Icardi.

Fredy Guarin InterInter’s plans for the summer continue apace with the news that Fredy Guarin has extended his contract until 2017, with the Colombian reported to be earning €2.8 million per season.

Guarin’s renewal is a significant boost for Inter, as they were left with a potentially difficult situation following the end of the January mercato and the collapse of the Guarin/Vucinic swap deal. The midfielder was left isolated from the squad and his market value had dwindled, especially due to the reducing months on his contract. Credit should be given to Mazzarri for bringing Guarin back into the fold and the club directors for successfully completing the negotiations.

It remains to be seen if Inter can fend off Parma’s bid for fifth place, whilst staking a claim of their own for fourth. But if Mazzarri’s charges are to climb the table, they must eliminate old flaws which resurfaced against Atalanta. A home clash against Udinese midweek could be the perfect opportunity for Icardi and co. to put their troubles behind them.

Follow Ryan Ross on Twitter: @rross11

 

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