Xiao Inzaghi's Divine Move! Formation Change to 3142, Core Player Takes on Single Defensive Midfielder Role, Activates Lautaro's First Goal in 9 Games
On December 29th, Beijing time, in the 18th round of Serie A, Inter Milan faced Cagliari away from home, which was the last game of the year for both teams. In the final match of the year, Inter Milan achieved a 3-0 victory, with Bastoni breaking the deadlock, Lautaro ending his goal drought, and Calhanoglu scoring from the spot. Compared to winning the game, the goal scored by captain Lautaro delighted Inter Milan fans even more. Xiao Inzaghi's divine move! Changing formation to 3142, the core player takes on the role of single defensive midfielder, activating Lautaro's first goal in 9 games.
Inter Milan successfully secured 3 points this round, while their title rivals Atalanta drew 1-1 with Lazio. Currently, Inter Milan ranks second in Serie A, having played one less game than Atalanta and trailing them by 1 point. Napoli has the same number of matches as Inter Milan but is 2 points behind, ranking third. Inter Milan holds the initiative in the title race.
In the match against Cagliari, Inter Milan launched a fierce offensive, with a 65% possession rate and 20 shots on goal. Lautaro played the entire game, taking 6 shots, the most in the match. Lautaro missed a close-range header in the first half but managed to score in the second half. In the previous 8 games for Inter Milan, the Argentine forward had no goals or assists. Finally, his efforts paid off, and with the support of the Inter Milan coach, players, and fans, Lautaro broke his goal drought.
Xiao Inzaghi has reached a masterful level in using the three-center-back system. He is adept at employing the 352 formation. Recently, we have noticed that Inter Milan has switched to the 3142 formation. In the matches against Leipzig (1-0), Lazio (6-0), Como (2-0), and Cagliari (3-0), Inter Milan used this formation, achieving victories in all games with 12 goals scored and none conceded, demonstrating dominance.
In these four games, Inter Milan's main defensive midfielder was Calhanoglu, who scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists during this period. Inter Milan's use of a single defensive midfielder formation sends a signal that they are investing more manpower in attack to enhance the team's attacking power. This formation places a greater emphasis on the running and defensive capabilities of the defensive midfielder. Fortunately, since leaving Milan to join Inter Milan, Calhanoglu has gradually transformed, evolving from a long-range attacking midfielder into an all-round midfield warrior. Not only is he steady with penalties and powerful with long-range shots, but he is also tough defensively.
Calhanoglu is now the most critical player in Inter Milan's squad, with no other player able to replace his position. With Calhanoglu's presence as a strong midfielder, it ensures Inter Milan's balance between attack and defense as well as their control. Inter Milan's switch to the 3142 formation enhances their attacking power, giving the forwards more opportunities to score goals. It would be difficult for Lautaro not to score. In the match against Cagliari, Lautaro wasted Calhanoglu's fine pass and missed an open goal, but fortunately, there were many chances, and he still managed to score.
Xiao Inzaghi has helped Inter Milan build a formidable system, and Calhanoglu is the core of the team's system, and he must not be sold.