Inter is back! After the victory against Sassuolo, which was in some ways obvious, came that of Florence, much heavier and more unexpected. Raise your hand who, on the eve, would have imagined the Nerazzurri team as masters of the Franchi? And instead Mazzarri got everything right, including the substitutions, above all Icardi's entry that changed the game. Offside goal, even quite evident, but for once the mistake, however decisive, doesn't change the judgment on the match. Inter deserved to win and this opens up interesting scenarios for the future. The fourth place occupied by Fiorentina is now 5 points away and the third, waiting for Sassuolo-Napoli, "only" 8.
Not bad with 14 days to go, especially now that the cups are starting again, involving both the Neapolitans and the Viola. We saw a first taste of it yesterday when Montella's team, fresh from the semi-final of the Italian Cup, approached the match with the classic soft legs. Physiological and understandable tiredness, but what surprised the most was Inter's mental freshness, on the spot from the first minute of the game.
“We were good, but we risked because we continue to waste too much – Mazzarri's analysis. – It has already happened to us on other occasions to throw away points, from this point of view we have to improve”. However, the changes are already there and are also evident. With the purchase of Hernanes, Inter have found technique and personality, and the whole team benefits from it. And if people like Guarin and Icardi really manage to regain the coach's trust, it can only be a good thing.
Then last night the Nerazzurri debunked two taboos: the away win (they hadn't been in Udine since 3 November) and the return of a striker to score (Palacio hadn't scored since the derby on 22 December). Many positive signs for a team that has also known how to suffer. After an excellent first half, which ended up leading by a goal (Palacio, who also scored an unfortunate post), the Nerazzurri were joined by Fiorentina at the start of the second half (goal from Cuadrado, thanks to an uncertainty from Handanovic).
And right there, with the match hanging in the balance and the home team pushing the accelerator, Mazzarri made the right move: Milito out, Icardi in. And the Argentine, thanks to a sensational referee oversight, pulled the classic rabbit out of the top hat, complete with polemical exultation towards the outside world. The shivers in the final (Matri's turn on which Gomez didn't arrive by a whisker) didn't change the overall judgment: after a long time Inter are back to being Inter.
Was it true glory? In Cagliari and, above all, in Rome (next adversaries) the arduous sentence. In the meantime, however, the Nerazzurri can look to the future with more serenity. And this, given the difficulties of the last few months, is already a great victory.
