Coming down from their highs of a Derby d’Italia defeat of Juventus, Inter have seen some of their flaws exposed in the week since and look far from potential Scudetto challengers.
As the final whistle blew at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Sunday, September 18, delirious Inter fans were dreaming of a potential Scudetto challenge. The club had just completed a come-from-behind win over perennial champions Juventus in hugely impressive fashion and had reason to celebrate.
However, fast-forward to the subsequent midweek round of games and the Nerazzurri faithful have been brought crashing back down to earth.
A stuttering 1-1 draw against Bologna on home soil was hardly the reaction Inter coach Frank de Boer was looking for, particularly as the hosts were far from convincing for much of Sunday’s clash.
Indeed, it was a case of business as usual this season as Inter looked vulnerable in defence and sloppy in central midfield. The Biscione got off to a woeful start, as Inter Primavera graduate Mattia Destro took advantage of a multitude of mistakes to break the deadlock.
The way in which big-money flop Geoffrey Kondogbia lost possession easily in the heart of midfield has become an all-too-familiar sight, whilst the defence was dragged out of position for Destro to fire home.
As the impressive Simone Verdi skipped past Miranda, a senseless lunge by Andrea Ranocchia left a gaping hole at the back for the goalscorer to be played in.
It can be hard to believe that Ranocchia was once tipped as one of the brightest defensive prospects in Italy, and his fall from grace shows no signs of abating.
To his credit, De Boer acted swiftly to replace Kondogbia before the half-hour mark, and Inter certainly seemed a more solid unit following the switch.
Inter drew level courtesy of Ivan Perisic’s stunning side-footed volley and the Croatian and fellow wide man Antonio Candreva were constant menaces throughout.
Nonetheless, the San Siro outfit’s inability to carve out clear opportunities for striker Mauro Icardi ultimately contributed to their inability to snatch victory. Icardi himself was guilty of missing a good opportunity late on, although the chance of the match undoubtedly fell to Ranocchia deep into stoppage time. The centre-back somehow contrived to power a close-range header wide when it seemed easier to score.
However, as has so often been the case so far this term, the black-and-blue half of Milan were let down by sloppy defending. Any challenger worth its salt cannot rely on a backline that makes as many errors as Inter’s does, whilst Kondogbia and Gary Medel provided little cover for the beleaguered defence.
Indeed, the former has had his future at the club called into question by De Boer, whilst the latter came close to exiting in August and could well be on his way out before the season is through.
It would be unfair to pin the draw solely on Inter’s deficiencies, however. Bologna more than played their part with some stout defending, whilst constant hounding in midfield prevented the Biscione from pushing up a gear.
Despite the inability to seal all three points, the hosts can take some positives from the match. Summer signing Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa finally made his Nerazzurri debut and looked bright in the quarter of an hour he spent on the pitch.
The Brazilian starlet will need to get accustomed to the rough and tumble of Italian football, but his natural eye for a pass and willingness to take an opponent on was there for all to see.
However, Inter have a long way to go before they can realistically be considered Scudetto challengers, with a rebuilding of the spine of the team a priority if De Boer is to flourish.
Ultimately, a reworking of their defence and a player willing to take difficult games by the scruff of the neck in midfield is the prerequisite if an improvement on last season is to be achieved.
