Conte: I wouldn’t have believed it if someone said Inter would have 42 points at Christmas

Date: 21st December 2019 at 9:01pm
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After Inter beat Genoa 4-0 to go level with Juventus atop Serie A on 42 points, Nerazzurri boss Antonio Conte admitted he wouldn’t have believed it if someone predicted such a haul at the start of the campaign.

Two goals from Romelu Lukaku, plus another from Roberto Gagliardini and Sebastiano Esposito getting his first for the club, put Genoa to the sword in an easy match for Inter.

“The problem of aiming for something big is not ‘a problem’,” Conte said. “We have to be realistic and look ourselves, we can be happy for what we managed to do [against Genoa].

“Getting 42 points, if someone had said we would do that, I would have had great difficulty [believing them].

“We cannot forget that we reached 42 points with big problems that we mustn’t forget.

“We have improved and raised the bar. Many [players] have become more responsible and many others have raised their level [of performance].

“I told the players that if we want to raise the level of the team, we have to grow. That work took us to 42 points.”

Lukaku, Inter’s designated penalty taker on the day, handed the ball to Sebastian Esposito, who scored it to become the second youngster player to get a goal in Inter colours.

“I can only read [into what Lukaku did] in a positive way,” Conte said. “I have no doubts about that.

“We are now talking about a team with high human values. I always as a player to put the team before his ego, and Romelu today proved he is a great man.

“Lukaku is the penalty taker and it was his choice. This is a group with high moral values.

“Esposito played well and now he has to keep his feet on the ground.”

 

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