02 April 2022
Juventus welcome Inter this weekend with only one point separating the two teams. Such a minor gap appeared unlikely at the turning point of the season, but since the winter break, there has been a seismic shift in favour of the Bianconeri.
In the last nine games, Inter have won twice and lost twice, compared to 15 wins from the previous 20 league games, and just one loss. The 11-point total collected by Simone Inzaghi’s side has seen the Bianconeri earn 10 points on the Nerazzurri.
The swing in Juve’s favour can be seen analysing recent match statistics.
Overall, Inter sit second for ball possession, with 57.1%, while with 53.4% Juventus are ninth in the season average. On the last match day before the international break, however, the data was reversed - 57.2% for Juventus to 51.1% for Inter. One of the factors influencing the Nerazzurri’s dip in form has been the absence of Marcelo Brosović in the team’s engine room.
Inter are the league’s top scoring team with 67 goals, compared to the Bianconeri’s 47. However, without Brozovic, his team scored just twice in three matches. On the defensive front, the Nerazzurri and Juventus are almost on a par. Inter have conceded 26 goals to Juve’s 24, with Massimiliano Allegri’s team collecting more clean sheets.
The absence of the Croatian international has exacerbated the difficulties Inter are currently experiencing. Neither Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Arturo Vidal, or Matias Vecino have been able to replace the deep-lying playmaker’s ability to influence his side’s attacking manoeuvre.
In the first video, we see how Edin Dzeko often acts as an advanced playmaker. His technical and above all tactical qualities often make him not the intended finisher of the move - despite being the centre forward - but the conductor at the heart of the action in the last 30 metres.
His ability to position himself between the lines and to play the ball into the path of an advancing midfielder has been used to positive effect by Inazghi, especially in the absence of Brosović.
By dropping deep from his advanced position to meet the ball, the Bosnian striker creates space for midfielders or his co-striker Lautaro Martinez to exploit in an attempt to get in behind the opponent’s defence.
In the second video, we can see another frequent solution employed by Inter. If there is no space in the centre, the involvement of the wide players in the 3-5-2 tactical set-up becomes essential, not only in the build-up but also in the conclusion of the action.
A classic example is Denzel Dumfries' goal against Fiorentina, whose presence in the opponent's penalty area creates numerical superiority. Wide on the left, Ivan Perišić delivers a precise cross, which is met by the Dutch wingback, free to score with a header.
Encouraging the wingbacks to push forward has always been an integral part of Inzaghi’s tactics, used also during his time in charge of Lazio, as it was by his predecessor Antonio Conte at Inter. All of which will not have escaped the attention of Coach Allegri.
