A message that arrives loud and clear: Inter thunders away from home against Monza and against the championship, putting the red and whites down 5-1 and reaching 28 consecutive games with at least one goal to their name. (THE NEWS)
The gap with the Brianza team was too large, even though they had so far only lost at home to Juve in a daring final and to Fiorentina. But the departure of the league leaders, with ferocity and clarity in front of goal, is a tsunami that sends the assumptions on which Palladino had built his hopes of a coup under water.
Without the injured Di Gregorio, a former Inter player who arrived at the stadium with a conspicuous brace and crutches, the coach of the red and whites deploys 2002 Sorrentino between the posts and places the former Inter players Caldirola, D’Ambrosio and Gagliardini, confirmed again on the defense line. Valentin Carboni, owned by the Nerazzurri, starts from the first minute alongside another object of Marotta’s desire, Andrea Colpani.
The CEO of Inter, who made his managerial debut in Brianza, experiences the particular derby in the stands that Daniel Maldini instead spends on the bench, under the eyes of his father Paolo and city manager Spalletti. This is to say how many connections there are between the two neighbours, who despite the asymmetry of the calendar find themselves on the first return leg as happened on the first outward journey. Compared to the evening of August 19th, Inzaghi only changes Pavard for Dumfries, leaving the latest arrival Buchanan on the bench. Among the starters there are no former Monza players Carlos Augusto, Sensi and Frattesi, who initially sit on the bench.
On the pitch, Monza throws Bondo’s physicality into the fray from the first minute, but the soundtrack is played by the guests: it is played on only one half of the pitch and Lautaro heads the near post from Pavard’s cross, but Gagliardini touches it with his left hand. Rapuano doesn’t notice, VAR does: Calhanoglu scores 0-1 from 11 meters and 120 seconds later Dimarco closes an action that Lautaro finishes with 0-2.
Inter don’t seem to be playing away games, such is their mastery of the pitch and the presence of its fans in every sector of the stadium. It’s a festive atmosphere: chants rise from the Inter corner for former players D’Ambrosio and Gagliardini. The chants against, when there are any, go towards the old rivals: Como on one side, Juve on the other.
What breaks the idyll is Monza’s leap of pride at the half-hour mark: Pessina heads it 1-2, but the VAR sees an offside of an inch or so. Mkhitaryan went close to scoring with a diving header from Lautaro’s cross, but in the second half he triggered Thuram’s heel and the Turk (recently booked, will miss Florence) made it 0-3.
The epilogue is not in the balance, but there is time for Sorrentino’s flight to deny Pavard the goal, before Darmian puts Mota down: Pessina scores 1-3 from the spot. And again from the spot comes the 1-4, with Akpa knocking out the former Frattesi, for Lautaro’s 1-4. At the end Thuram swerves into the area, Caldirola misses and it’s 1-5, with Palladino who had already been sent off. Too little Monza, too much Inter. Who can now also dedicate himself to the Super Cup.
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2024-01-13 22:39:28
#Serie #Inter #overwhelms #Monza #Football
