A change of gear is needed. In the Sunday postponement, Inter must absolutely return to victory, for the standings and for morale. The last two draws against Bologna and Sampdoria undermined some of the certainties that the Nerazzurri seemed to have found at the start of the season, and the shaky Coppa Italia victory over Trapani certainly didn't improve things. “We are not yet ready to manage results – admitted Walter Mazzarri in the usual press conference the day before. – Given the progress of some matches, we have collected less than we had done. Maybe we take the lead and get caught up for some lightness, this is because we relax mentally. So far the team has shown good football, with an organized organization and the best attack in the league, but we're still a little behind."
In short, no one takes third place for granted, unless prestigious gifts arrive from the January market. “The objectives depend on the reinforcements – explained the coach, reiterating what was already expressed a few weeks ago. – In the meantime, let's finish the first leg and get to January, we'll need to understand how Milito and Icardi will be. Then it all depends on the club's requests, we could also give value to the young Bonazzoli, someone who has quality but who is just a kid. It's not said that, since your name is Inter, you have to do something sensational right away. We can't win every match today, I'm creating a new mentality. Sure, this is a highly prestigious club that won everything three years ago, but we're at year zero and repeating ourselves is very difficult”.
Clear agreements and a long friendship, this is Mazzarri's thought. However, he knows well how important and delicate the triptych between now and Christmas (Parma, Naples and Milan) is for his season. That's why tonight's match can't really go wrong. “There are many pitfalls – admitted the Nerazzurri coach. – They are an excellent team that has collected very good results. They have a very strong squad, they play football well. We will have to face the match in the best possible way, otherwise we risk doing badly”. Up front then there will be an ex with a poisoned tooth like Cassano, who left Inter precisely because of Mazzarri's choice. “I didn't send anyone away – replied the coach from Appiano Gentile. – He is a player of great class, we know how creative he is especially when he is as good as he is now ”. The Nerazzurri will try to limit him with the usual three-man defense made up of Campagnaro, Rolando (again preferred to Ranocchia) and Juan Jesus. In midfield there will be Jonathan, Taider, Cambiasso, Alvarez and Zanetti, with Nagatomo recovered for the bench. Even in attack there is no doubt: Palacio plays, with Guarin behind him and Belfodil, the other ex of the match, still on the bench.
