A palpable shift in mood swept through Milan as Inter faced Slavia Prague in the Champions League, coinciding with the city council`s approval for the sale of San Siro, marking its eventual demolition and replacement. Amidst fan discussions about the iconic stadium`s fate, Inter secured a commanding 3-0 victory in their opening home fixture of the group stage. This strong performance followed an initial win against Ajax and aimed to redeem the team after their crushing 5-0 defeat to PSG in the previous UEFA Champions League final.
During the summer, the Nerazzurri underwent a significant managerial change. Simone Inzaghi departed to join Al-Hilal before the Club World Cup, leading to the appointment of Cristian Chivu, a Champions League winner from 2010 and former Parma head coach, as his successor.
From the outset of the season, a distinct atmosphere surrounded this Inter Milan squad. Despite initial skepticism regarding his limited coaching background, Chivu has swiftly demonstrated his ability to make astute strategic choices.
In the previous season, under the new European tournament format, Inzaghi implemented a significant rotation policy, fielding different squads for Serie A and Champions League matches. This approach often saw players like striker Mehdi Taremi and midfielder Piotr Zielinski frequently starting in European fixtures but rarely appearing in domestic league games. This season, Chivu appears to be adopting a similar rotational strategy, as observed in the Slavia Prague match, yet with distinct tactical choices.
Chivu demonstrated a varied tactical approach, altering the lineup from the previous Saturday`s game against Cagliari. Despite seven changes, his selections aren`t solely for European competition; five of the eleven starters against Slavia Prague at San Siro differed from those who faced Ajax in Amsterdam. While key players like Yann Sommer, Federico Dimarco, Marcus Thuram, and Denzel Dumfries featured in both, and Lautaro Martinez had a minor injury for the Ajax away game, Chivu`s choices are primarily driven by player form. Consequently, further squad rotations are anticipated for the upcoming weekend`s match against Cremonese at San Siro.
“With only 72 hours separating the matches, I aimed to provide opportunities for players who hadn`t featured as much, while simultaneously maintaining team cohesion and quality,” Chivu explained to Sky Italia. “I`m pleased to have given minutes to Bisseck and Zielinski and allowed others to rest. Furthermore, I must account for players departing for international duty, where they will participate in two additional games.”
It`s evident that Chivu`s rotational strategy is effective against teams like Ajax and Slavia Prague. However, it`s highly improbable he will apply the same extensive changes when Inter later confronts stronger opponents such as Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and Liverpool in the group stage. Inter aims to accumulate maximum points from their upcoming matches against Union Saint-Gilloise away and Kairat at San Siro. Should Chivu successfully manage player rotation between domestic league and Champions League fixtures while maintaining strong performances against less formidable teams, Inter could solidify their position as genuine contenders once more.
