Inter still ruing loss of ex

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ByPeter Young

Feb 8, 2024 13:32

Many still count Inter unfortunate to have been on the losing end of the Champions League final against Manchester City in June 2023, but ex-Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan could have made the difference for Simone Inzaghi’s side if he were fully fit, papers in Italy have claimed.

Inter lost 1-0 to Pep Guardiola’s men at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul thanks to a 68th minute strike from Rodri, but the Nerazzurri had chances of their own to claim the lead and then draw level later on in the game.

Inzaghi sent his team out for the final in Inter’s preferred 3-5-2 system, with largely a fully fit squad to select from. Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko led the line, with Romelu Lukaku infamously coming off the bench during the second period.

In midfield, however, Mkhitaryan had been recovering from a muscular issue in the weeks building up to the Champions League final and was only deemed fit enough for a spot on the bench. He went on to play for just six minutes against City.

Regular starters Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella lined up in the box-to-box midfield roles, with Marcelo Brozovic playing his final game for Inter slightly deeper.

Now well into the 2023-24 season, Inter’s midfield has shifted slightly, with Calhanoglu now excelling in a deep-lying playmaker role. He is usually supported by Barella and Mkhitaryan in Serie A.

Il Corriere dello Sport have now posed the question: ‘Would the final result against City have changed had Mkhitaryan been fit from minute one?’

With Inter in such a commanding position in the league, and with their midfield dubbed ‘one of the best in the world’ by Fabio Capello in recent weeks, Mkhitaryan’s availability may have changed the dynamics of the game, particularly if Calhanoglu had been deployed in a slightly deeper position.

Papers in Italy do also suggest that winning the Serie A title at the end of 2023-24 will help to soften the blow of last season’s disappointment.

Inter-City, il retroscena: "Inzaghi si chiede ancora adesso come sarebbe finita se…" https://t.co/mikHSJZpmh

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