Inter Milan has achieved a remarkable five consecutive victories in various competitions, maintaining a clean sheet while scoring 15 goals, averaging a minimum of 3 goals per game, demonstrating an impressive offensive and defensive prowess that commands respect.
During Conte's era, Inter Milan won the league title but failed to change public perception of the team, as their defeat in the Europa League final indicated that the team had limited potential. How to solve problems through passing and cutting in the absence of explosive moments, how to improve the efficiency of set-piece attacks, and the reasons for repeatedly faltering in the latter stages of the season - Inzaghi not only continued the formation structure and defensive system left by his predecessor but also solved the three tactical "puzzles" left behind.
Inzaghi believes that the ball always travels faster than a person, and as long as the players have solid footwork skills, they can establish chemistry through targeted training and rely on efficient passing and cutting to break through the opponent's defense. When Dzeko served as the frontcourt pivot, Inzaghi required core players to use their experience and skills to guide their teammates' positioning. After the addition of Marcus Thuram, the Nerazzurri's passing and control network was readjusted again, with a more pronounced Latin flavor.
This season, Inter Milan averages 577 passes per game, with 513 short passes, accounting for 89%, rarely using direct through balls to feed the forwards, but instead relying on precise crosses to create opportunities (21 times). When the passer and receiver attract the defense, the third and fourth players have already started to capture the gaps in the opponent's defense, giving Inter Milan's goals a sense of divine intervention.
The collective effort in open play is matched by the unity in Inter Milan's set-piece attacks. In the away match against Sardinia, Inter Milan scored twice through fixed routines, and this season they have already scored 9 times through set-pieces, with the highest efficiency in the league.
Mainstays Calhanoglu and Dimarco are both skilled at set-pieces, and substitutes Zielinski and Aslani are also experts at long passes. Inter Milan has several outstanding set-piece takers, which is the foundation of the success of set-piece tactics. With the addition of Frattesi and the increased playing time of Bisek, Inter Milan now has more players who can pose threats in fixed routines, and this season six players have scored from set-piece crosses. The high efficiency of set-piece attacks is matched by Inter Milan's expertise in organizing set-piece defenses, with their performance of retreating to block the goal in the Champions League against Arsenal leaving a deep impression.
Since the implementation of the five-substitution rule, Inter Milan may be one of the top teams in the league to take full advantage of the new policy. In the 2022/23 season, Inzaghi used up all his substitution quotas in almost every game, ultimately wasting only three opportunities for on-site adjustments, with a substitution frequency ranking among the top in the top five leagues. Rotating the squad to replenish positions such as wing-backs, central midfielders, and forwards after halftime has become his signature move.
Two years ago, leading a team of veterans to the Champions League final gave Inzaghi confidence to continue pushing for rotation. Inter Milan has been implementing a precise rotation strategy of adjusting 2 to 4 players per game for two consecutive seasons. Perhaps to ensure his first league title as a coach, or perhaps underestimating the difficulty of visiting Wanda Metropolitano, Inzaghi did not make major rotations before the second leg of last season's Champions League round of 16, and the Nerazzurri, lacking key players (Augusto and Arnautovic) and physically exhausted, were ultimately defeated by opponents with richer experience in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The strength of the opponent does not affect Inzaghi's rotation plan. The classic case of "energy-saving and emission reduction" against Bayer Leverkusen away and then bloodily defeating Lazio in the league is a testament to Inzaghi's rotation strategy.
The dream of reaching the Champions League final again was shattered early, and after reflecting on the situation, Inzaghi decided to transform "precise rotation" into deep rotation to enhance the team's ability to withstand risks in multi-line operations. This season, the average age of Inter Milan's squad reached 29.8 years old, and Inzaghi relied on a large team of 30 assistant coaches and medical staff to monitor the players' conditions, making adjustments to more than half of the starting lineup in many games. Strong substitutes faced strong opponents, while lower-ranked substitutes faced mid-to-lower table teams, young players could engage in continuous combat, and veterans received more rest time. In terms of on-site command, Inzaghi would try to complete adjustments as early as possible and generally would not waste substitution quotas on time-wasting.
To give the main players more rest time, Inzaghi places great emphasis on tactical adjustments during the halftime break. In the Italian coaching circle, which emphasizes details, how to utilize the 15-minute halftime break is an important criterion for measuring a coach's abilities. Inter Milan has scored 12 goals between the 45th and 60th minutes this season, far exceeding other teams, and Inzaghi's performance in this aspect undoubtedly deserves full marks.
The story of faltering in the middle of the season has become history, and Inter Milan has transformed its temperament under Inzaghi, but it is not yet time to rest easy. In the closing battle of 2024, Lautaro broke his eight-game goal drought, unfortunately, Taremi still failed to score, considering that Joaquin Correa and Arnautovic have only scored one league goal in total, Inzaghi must quickly find a way to unlock the scoring account of the substitute forwards.
The lack of goals from substitute forwards needs to be addressed, and the state and injury issues of some defensive players are also a concern for Inzaghi. Due to the recent low pressure of the schedule, Inter Milan's three-center-back formation can cope with just De Vrij, Bastoni, Bisek, and Damian, allowing Pavard and Acerbi to focus on recovery, as the tough matches in the final sprint of the season will require the participation of these two quality players.
