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Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal Reaction: Can Nerazzurri Win Champions League? (Ep. 470)
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After Inter Milan beat Arsenal 1-0 in the Champions League at the San Siro in a defensive masterclass, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese discuss and debate whether the Nerazzurri can actually go on and win the biggest trophy in European football?
This is a clip from the weekly Thursday episode of the Italian Football Podcast.
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Transcript
Can Inter Milan win the Champions League?
00:00:04
Speaker
<unk> how far can can to go in in the champions league like do we think that inte can win the champions league can they win the champions league i mean i think i think absolutely they can win the chapmans league will they win the champions league i mean it's it'll be very difficult but you know i think that the ingredients are there. i I honestly think that the only thing Inter are lacking is Welcome to the depth in in attack. ah that's That's it. That's what I think. I think after Lautaro and Saram, Inter just the the like you know the the threat level just plummets without them. And you know if Inter can be lucky and have these two fit and on form the whole season, great. But if one of them was to get an injury, like in March, then I think that really, I think that probably stops Inter from being a challenger to win it. I do.
Inter Milan's strengths and weaknesses
00:00:56
Speaker
And also, you know, some games you need players to come off the bench and attack to change the game. And, you know, some games might go to extra time. And, and you know, I think that's the only thing, that's the only shortcoming. But everywhere else, I think intertickle the boxes. They've got a great manager, they've got the experience, they've got the Champions League final um you know two years ago. They've got the hunger to win it as well. We know how much it means to them. um and I think they've got they've got the quality. um They've got one of the best defences in the competition. and They've got depth in defence. They've got depth in midfield. I think i think that the qualities are are there. i Just the only thing that they're lacking for me is is depth in attack.
Chalhanoglu's critical role at Inter
00:01:38
Speaker
That's it. Otherwise, I think they're they're absolutely they can they can battle it out with with with anyone. I do think that, yeah. I think i don't agree that Inter don't have depth and attack. I think, like I said, for the reasons i repeated before I said before, I think it's too soon to say anything. My issue is when if Chalanoglu gets injured. If Chalanoglu gets injured and misses Champions League knockout games, then no, Inter can't win. We saw yesterday. It was when Chalanoglu's on the pitch, Inter tick. He's become the new Brozovic. When Brozovic was having a good day, Inter had a good day. When Chalanoglu has a good day, Inter have a good day. That's how important Chalanoglu is at Inter. That's how fundamental he is for inter Inter's balance, the way that he can alleviate pressure in defence when holding the ball, covering the ball, drawing free kicks, the way that he can start attacks, the way that he is the spider in the web when building from defence to attack, dictating the play. He's a reference point for everyone else to know where they're supposed to stay on the pitch, where they're supposed to go, they should push up, where they should drop, when they should push up, when they should drop. All of these things, that's Chalanoglu. So for me, the way I look at it is this. If Takan Chalanoglu is fit, Inter do have a chance to win the to win the
Comparing Chalhanoglu to past key players
00:02:58
Speaker
Champions League. Absolutely. But if Chalanoglu is not around, if Chalanoglu is going to be injured or for whatever reason, of course, Lautaro Turam as well. But I'm talking about from structural balance and structural solidity in this tournament. He he is unbelievably important for Inter. He's fundamental for Inter. Inter can win games by excuse me outscoring their opponents, um even in games where they're not good 100% in defense. they They can win games but we like we've seen in the Serie A. They can win games and they can score for fun um and outscore and by by just simply scoring one more than their opponents in in those games. But you can't do that in the Champions League, in the knockout stages. You need to have solidity in both phases. And I think that kind of stability, that kind of solidity, that kind of balance, Inter only have when Hakan Chalonoglu is on the pitch. And it's it's just like you said, he's such a classy midfielder. His passing, his intelligence, and his and and and set pieces, the fact that he hasn't missed a penalty in eight years, 19 in a row, how calm he is. And so mentally strong he is. That's something that's very underrated about him, is his mental strength. He's so strong mentally. um he and and And he has this calm about him, which he spreads to everyone else in the team as well. I think Barella is probably a better midfielder, or is a better midfielder. He's technically superior. He's more complete. But we saw yesterday that Inter can win without Barella at this level. But I don't think they can do so without Akan Chalanoglu. And that, to me, suggests, it's just a manifestation of what I'm talking about, of how unbelievably important he has become.
Chalhanoglu's impact on Inter's Champions League success
00:04:59
Speaker
Yesterday, that performance against Arsenal was reminiscent in very in very many ways of when Inter beat Barcelona at home when Brozovic was injured and Charanoglu first played as that central defend defensive holding position when he was outstanding, when he scored the only goal of the game in that game as well at the San Siro against Barcelona, which gave Inter the edge in qualifying from that group. um ah It was very reminiscent in many ways in the way that Inter, you know, sacrificed everything to win. But the key in that game was Hakan Chalanoglu and that became the start of the Champions League campaign, which led to the final in Istanbul. Well, yesterday, to me, that was the start of Inter's Champions League campaign as well. At least that's how that that's where we are now. And they should be able, i hopefully, Inzaghi is able to channel that energy into the weekend and beyond. That now the season starts. Now Inter start kicking in. And that coincides with Hakan Chalanoglu coming back from injury, Hakan Chalanoglu coming in and showing what a class-holding midfielder he is for Inter. And as long as he's fit, as long as he can play at that level, then I think Inter can go toe-to-toe with any team in Europe.
Analyzing other Champions League teams
00:06:24
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, form and injuries and and and shape and all that will come will be important by the by the knockout stages and also a bit of luck of who you got. But I think you also need to look at the other challengers, how strong are the other challengers right now? And I think that also, I mean, things will change. We're only in November. Things will change by March. Absolutely. So, you know, it's it's it's too early to say this. But if you look right now at some of the other challenges, well, the champions, Real Madrid, are a complete mess, as we'll come on to in a minute. They're a complete and total mess. And Manchester City, look, I mean, they just just got hammered 4-1 by sports in Lisbon. A lot of problems going off the pitch with with the with the with the court case where they they could get probably, well, they will surely get a massive points penalty at the least and we don't know what else. um And, you know, they've lost Rodri who is their, Celanoglu, is their irreplaceable player. I mean, you know, we take Rodri out of that team and you lose so much. Well, yeah, but but of us you lose that but and they just look, you know, Pep Guardiola's last season, they're probably in an in-between season physically.
Why Inter shouldn't fear other contenders
00:07:29
Speaker
That's all I'll say. You can read from that what you want. and ah you know So I think Man City look more vulnerable as well than they have done in in previous seasons. And they' they're probably the two best teams. and So you take those out. um you know I mean, Arsenal, we we we we've seen Arsenal, we know they their limitations, they're probably a little bit short. um Liverpool look strong. Barcelona, Barcelona looking really, really good um this season as well. So those two teams, those two teams are going to be dangerous. Bayern Munich, I just don't trust their manager, Vincent Kompany, of course, they're always going to be there. PSG risk going out right now. ah They've got work to do. They've only got four points from their four games. So they have to be very careful. i there's There's a chance they could even be eliminated. um They should still go through, but there's a chance. And I don't think that without Mbappe, I think they don't look the same. So when I look at the kind of, you know, like the other contenders for the Champions League, well, why can't Inter challenge it against these teams? You know, talking I'm talking as a neutral here. You know, is is I don't see anything that they should be really, really fearful from. But again, come March, things will change.
00:08:41
Speaker
you know everything will change by much i expect real matrys certainly to be a lot lot better by march and they'll be there or thereabouts again madrid i'm sure they will be but but right now they look a mess