Inter is back! The suspicion, already revealed after the successes with Genoa and Sassuolo, could have turned into proof with the victory over Lazio, the most convincing of the season after that of September with Juve. However, the conditional is a must: with the Nerazzurri, in fact, you never know and 2017 will have to offer other confirmations to let go of definitive judgments.
In the meantime, however, 2016 ended on a crescendo, indeed it is appropriate to say that San Siro saw the New Year's barrels a few days in advance. “Now I can say that we have a soul and that by continuing like this we can build something good – commented Pioli. – The result was the most important thing but we also managed to play well, I'm only sorry that the break will prevent us from riding this momentum. However, January could be decisive for our future”.
The Nerazzurri coach can finally smile: with him the team seems to have made a breakthrough. In the 6 games of his management, 13 points arrived, moreover against level opponents such as Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio. The only real flop, apart from the Europa League (but that, in fact, had already been compromised in the De Boer era), remains the 3-0 in Naples, a result that Inter returned in equal measure to Inzaghi's Lazio .
And to think that the first half had been in the Lazio style, at least in the chances created: Handanovic and D'Ambrosio had had to sacrifice themselves three times (the first on a shot by Immobile, the second on shots by Lulic and Felipe Anderson) to ensure that the result remained fixed at 0-0.
Then in the second half the turning point: Banega, one of the least convincing up until then, recovered the ball from the frontline and hurled an unstoppable right footed shot past Marchetti, for the nerazzurri advantage (54'). Which, two minutes later, became even double thanks to Icardi, very good at heading a nice cross from D'Ambrosio and leaving the Lazio goalkeeper stunned (56 '). A terrifying one-two, not to mention a knockout: Inzaghi's team, in fact, never recovered and Inter could make good or bad weather. In the 66th minute Icardi scored the 3-0 on the development of a free kick, then his 4 was missing only because his right foot hit the crossbar.
“There's a great regret, we did very well in the first half – thought Inzaghi. – After Banega's goal we practically left the field, it's not possible to concede 3 goals in 12 minutes. We have to understand why this happens to us in the second half." The Biancoceleste coach will have the opportunity to reflect on it during the Christmas break, the same one that Pioli will be able to pass with a little more optimism. The road to the Champions League is still long, but in the meantime his Inter are back in the running. And this, given the premises of a few weeks ago, is already a victory.
