Benfica vs Inter Milan
UEFA Champions League
Quarter Final
1st leg
Tuesday
11th April 2023
Estadio da Luz
Under pressure Inzaghi defends position blaming his strikers
Simone Inzaghi’s position is under pressure. The Internazionale coach saw his team drop out of the top four of Serie A and must save the season in the Champions League. In the run-up to the diptych with Benfica, he defended himself.
The Nerazzurri have not been able to win since March 5. Last weekend it also failed against Salernitana (1-1). Still, Inzaghi does not find the situation problematic, he explained at the press conference. “Last year we won 5-0. Only now we play better,” he reacted in an idiosyncratic way.
“We get twenty chances and only make one,” Inzaghi denounced the effectiveness of his strikers. “The criticism will be on me, but I know where the problems lie. I am happy with our game, but we have to score.” Romelu Lukaku in particular did not have his sights sharp.
Inzaghi also lashed out at the media present. In Italy, the pressure on the coach is increasing, now that qualification for the Champions League is at risk. “The results are different from what our game would suggest. But you have to write or shout and let yourself be influenced only by results. You should look neutral,” he said.
“We can still compete for prizes in April, that was our goal,” Inzaghi continued to defend himself. Although he knows that with Benfica there is a tough hurdle to overcome. “A great team with a great series this year. To beat them we have to be very good. We will have to play with the head and heart,” the coach added.
Inter are missing two strongholds in Lisbon tonight. Hakan Calhanoglu and Milan Skriniar are missing. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Stefan de Vrij will start on the reserve bench.
Roger Schmidt explains why he refuses to underestimate Internazionale
Roger Schmidt will face Internazionale with Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, but there is no underestimation whatsoever with the German. Despite the lesser results of the Italian team, Schmidt still thinks Inter is ‘a top club’.
Internazionale has been waiting for a victory for six games in a row. Simone Inzaghi’s team is currently fifth in Serie A, but Schmidt explained at the press conference why Benfica does not underestimate the upcoming opponent. He commented, “We want to play our best football and we have to be ready to play against a very strong team, with so much individual quality and so many options.”
“Inter are a top team and are very focused. They are very experienced, know how to play offensively, but can also defend very well if necessary. They have an Italian style, but also play very varied,” the manager pointed out.
After fourteen wins in sixteen games, Benfica lost again last Friday. Competitor FC Porto was 2-1 too strong. “It’s part of football to lose games. On Friday we lost a very important one, but that is part of the growth process. You should use defeats as something positive. The last two days we have only thought about Inter. I don’t doubt their quality, so we have to be ready,” he concluded.
