OPINION: Inter aren't broken! They need a regista, not Soriano
Four points in the last four games. Reason to panic at San Siro? Not exactly. This has already happened to Roberto Mancini's men, who followed up their 4-1 embarassment at the hands of Fiorentina with draws with Juventus, Sampdoria and Palermo, earning three points in four weeks.
Then, they magically recovered, earning six wins in seven games and seemingly running away from the pack.
The hope, therefore, is that history can repeat itself at the Giuseppe Meazza, and that Inter - who have played far better in these four games than they did in those - can return to their old ways against Carpi, Milan and Chievo.
But before the Derby rolls round we have to analyze on of the team's weak points: the lack of a regista. With all the talk focussing on the very talented Roberto Soriano of Sampdoria, many seem to be forgetting that Inter have also approached Andrea Pirlo (shot down), Lucas Biglia (too expensive)... and are interested in Granit Xhaka.
Meanwhile, Mancini has pointed the finger at his players, claiming that the team "is gifting opponents too many goals... missing too many passes... and needs to score more".
The stats certainly bear this one out: Among the Top 6, Inter have the worst shooting stats, and have conceded the most shots on goal (88), almost twice as many as Juventus (49).
That said, these stats haven't changed a lot of late, only the results have. The only thing that truly matters is the Beneamata's third place, and the fact that the team has showed great spirit and pluck so far. It would be foolish to think that the machine has broken down, when it has defied all expectations so far, and done so again whenever they look like coming true.
@CriGiudici, translated by @EdoDalmonte
DEFENSE
Goals conceded: Inter 13, Juventus 15, Napoli 16, Fiorentina 21, Roma 23, Milan 23.
Shots on goal conceded: Juventus 49, Napoli 50, Fiorentina 51, Milan 69, Roma 83, Inter 88.
MIDFIELD
Average possession: Fiorentina 63%, Napoli 62%, Juventus 56%, Roma 56%, Inter 54%, Milan 50%.
Completed passes: Fiorentina 86.6%, Juventus 85.5%, Napoli 85%, Inter 82.2%, Roma 81.5%, Milan 78.6%.
ATTACK
Goals scored: Napoli 41, Fiorentina 37, Juventus 37, Roma 37, Milan 27, Inter 25.
Total shots (excluding blocks): Napoli 264, Juventus 256, Roma 226, Fiorentina 222, Milan 218, Inter 197.
