A draw and some regrets. Inter come out of Trieste's Nereo Rocco with a good point, but given the performance and the number of chances created, they also bring home a good deal of regret. Mazzarri feared the match against Cagliari a lot, both for the strength of the opponent and for the possible aftermath of the post Fiorentina. Not surprisingly, on the eve, he had argued with the institutions, guilty of having placed the match on Sunday afternoon, just 64 hours after the last effort. Consequently, here is the first real turnover of the season, with 4 new faces than usual. In addition to Pereira and Kovacic, widely expected by all, Rolando and Belfodil also took the field from the first minute, replacing the loyal Campagnaro and the "indispensable" Palacio. However, those who feared repercussions were taken aback, because Inter maintained the same excellent game textures expressed in the other matches. Another point in favor of Mazzarri, who is obviously working his best with the whole squad.
"They all played a great game, both those who played a few hours ago and those who took to the field after some time" praised the coach, half satisfied with the draw. “The boys started beyond my expectations. The field was heavy, but we made many beautiful plots – he explained – we deserved to take the lead earlier, the match would have started in another way. We're sorry because we created a lot, but we found a goalkeeper in great shape. We were a bit affected and imprecise on the sills, apart from this, however, we played a great game, a bit like against Sassuolo”. Above all, the approach was convincing, but the athletic endurance is also remarkable. Despite the few hours of rest ("I think the minimum was to play on Sunday evening, I don't understand why Fiorentina were able to play on Monday and we weren't" Mazzarri reiterated), the Nerazzurri held up until the end, even risking winning in the final minutes.
However, it was in the first half that we saw the best things. After less than a minute Nagatomo, diverted to the right by virtue of Pereira, came close to scoring with a great right foot from outside the area, and shortly after Guarin did the same, finding Agazzi again on his way. The most tempting opportunity undoubtedly came from Belfodil, who had a close header rejected by the excellent Cagliari goalkeeper. The Sardinians contained their opponent, making themselves dangerous only with a pinilla punch. Then in the second half, when the pace was slowing down, Mazzarri played the cards Palacio and Icardi, immediately benefiting from it. And so, in the 75th minute, here comes the goal that could have been worth the victory: Palacio's brilliant opening for Nagatomo, the Japanese cross with the rev counter to catch the former Sampdoria striker for the easiest of goals. Cagliari had the merit of not giving up, but above all the good fortune of drawing the joker. In fact, Nainggolan's shot would have ended up comfortably in Handanovic's hands, but Rolando's deflection sent it directly into goal. The result hasn't changed since, even if Inter came close to winning with a back and forth in the penalty area in added time. The emotions continued even after the match, with Mazzarri responding in kind to an attack by Montella. "He is very good at complimenting his opponent before the match, while he struggles afterwards" the viola had declared in the press conference, "He speaks without being sure of what he is saying, he is probably a bit inattentive and likes to talk things he could do without” the Nerazzurri replied. Skirmishes between rivals, through and through. Because Inter want to play it all the way, always and in any case.
