The Italian coach Inter de Milan, Simone Inzaghi, He confessed that his team feels “respect” for Liverpool before the Champions League round of 16 clash, but that, despite the fact that the English carry the favourites, “they do not lose a game before playing it”.
San Siro will host tonight what for many interista fans is the game of the year: it will be Inter Milan’s first appearance in the Champions League round of 16 since the 2011-12 season, a decade in which they have not managed to get past group stage or have played in the Europa League.
“Liverpool give us respect, but you don’t lose a game before you play it,” said Inzaghi in the press conference prior to the crash.
“I’m happy. This club and this fans deserve to play this kind of games. It will be very hard, but we will get out there with our best weapons. The match will be tight,” he said.
“The Liverpool is the favourite, in theory. Now, the matches are to be played. We have to go out there to play our football. I want the boys to go out with a clear mind. Determination will make the difference, and the boys have it, they have shown it since the season began,” said the coach.
Inter arrives at the European event in what is probably the most delicate moment of the season after having lost the derby of their city against Milan and the leadership of Serie A in two weeks. Despite this, Inzaghi trusts in which the team, reigning Italian champions, is more than ready for a Champions League night.
“Obviously, getting a point out of six is not a dish of good taste. The league is still open, and Milan, Napoli and Juventus are rivals in the race for the league title.”
“Our performance was good in the first half against Napoli last Saturday, although it is also true that we suffered a penalty against. However, we showed our team spirit and our claws in the second half, and it was in that period when I felt security regarding the Champions League”, valued the ex-footballer.
Regarding who would occupy the attacking places, the coach opened the door to all his forwards. Everything points to an ownership of the Bosnian Edin Dzeko, so the question is who will accompany him, if the Chilean Alexis Sánchez or the Argentine Lautaro Martínez.
“At the moment, everyone has the same chance to play. We still have some training sessions left, so we will assess the condition of the three strikers. Two will play, and the third will come off the bench to play. There will always be rotations,” he commented. .
Inzaghi also praised the figure of the German Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, whom he said “is an incredible coach”: “His team always plays with a lot of intensity, whether or not they have possession of the ball. They can cause problems all over the field” , sentenced.
The first leg of these Champions League round of 16 will take place this Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. (8:00 p.m. GMT), at the San Siro stadium (Milan).