Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to the Italian football podcast.
Speaker: Let's move and look ahead now to the Champions League final and preview the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter in Istanbul on Saturday, June the 10th. Manchester City joined in Inter after they thrashed Real Madrid 4 -0 at the Etihad on Wednesday. They win 5 -1 on aggregate. Lots of stuff I want to get through here.
Speaker: We're going to look at what Inter can do to try and stop this from happening to them. There's a few things I want to talk about. First of all, before I ask you what you would do, because I know there's a few key tactical choices, the same ones that we asked in the Milan games. So I kind of had an idea of what you were going to say. But first of all, I want to say in relation to comparing Inter to the way Madrid played,
Speaker: I think Inter's back five just from a purely from a structural point of view regardless totally regard disregarding what in Zaggy would do in terms of specifics I think Inter's back five will work much better than a back four against Pep's team. I think that the
Speaker: The blueprint is look at how Chelsea beat City in the 2021 final, but where I think that Madrid really struggled and where Madrid got so much joy out of Madrid is with the back four, they were dragging the full backs out of their positions, right? So Camavinga and Carver Halberts, especially Camavinga on the right hand side, on the Madrid left hand side.
Speaker: And then they were playing the ball in the half space between the left back and the left centre back, or between the right back and the right centre back. They were getting into those holes, they were dragging them out. Now with a back five or a back three, that won't happen. That won't happen there. You'll have the left side and the right side of centre backs who will fill in. So I think automatically... But above all the midfield, that's where the key is. Inter's midfield is made up of runners.
Speaker: Barrelei is a runner, Brozovic is a runner, Chalanoglu is a runner, Tony Kross and Luka Modrić not so much anymore. Modrić used to be a runner, but in 37 goblets. They're not runners, they're walkers. They're white walkers. No, but look, Luka Modrić is 37 years old. I've never seen a 37 -year -old midfielder play as good at the high level that Luka Modrić does. Let's be fair here.
Speaker: You know, Inter have runners and Real Madrid didn't. That's going to be key. And that brings me into where I want Simona to field the dream midfield.
Speaker: I want him to feel the Brozovich, Parela, Chalanogla midfield. That midfield has everything. That midfield has intelligence, it has directness, it has patience, it has composure, it has kilometres in it, it has running, it has
Speaker: And who's the most conservative of the three? I mean, Citi will pull your players all over the position, so you can't just say, he will be the regista. No, because that's the thing. You don't need to, because all three of them can do all three things. All three of them can create. All three of them are runners. All three of them are good passers.
Speaker: Brozovic is going to be the one that is going to help out in front of the back three. But if City decides to man mark him, that's fine, because then Chalanog Lorbarella will dictate the tempo. Because both of them can cross, both of them can play diagonal balls. And that is the key, the diagonal. Make City run sideways.
Speaker: when they press you, and that's something Inter are pretty good at. This notion that to absorb pressure high up the pitch and play past it by because of the fact that the midfield trio as well as the other players are so good at positional changes and to become passing options and to play out of press. Now City is the last level boss and Guardiola is the last level boss of that. So it's going to be, you know, now they have to show that they really can do it.
Speaker: I mean, Brozovic is probably... I mean, what is the situation with Makedarian's injury? Is he going to be back? I mean, it's going to... I mean, that might... Brozovic might pick himself, right? No, I think so, yeah. No, I don't think Mikitarian is going to... I think he might be back for the Torino game. Oh, really? As soon as that? Yeah. Which is when's the Torino game? Is that last game of the season? Yeah, the last game of the season. So a week before? Yeah. Okay. So the most important thing for... He suffered a thigh injury. Inter have confirmed as much.
Speaker: The Serena game is two and a half weeks away. They suffer the muscle strain. That's what Inter released in his left thigh. But we don't know the time scale. No, they haven't said that.
Speaker: But no, it's... I mean, I really hope, because I think that Inter need the benches. They need a bench as well. You need players. They need, look... Otherwise they're basically Milan. No, no, no, listen. Inter didn't... Inter got to this stage by having a bench, by getting everyone involved. They rotated. So it's no doubt about that, Mikitarion. It doesn't matter who starts. In that sense, you need all... All players need to be on it. Like, it's as simple as that. But the starting lineup in this game has to be...
Speaker: Okay, let me move on to the second point, second question.
Speaker: Jekko or Lukaku? Romelu Lukaku, without a shadow of a doubt, because it's going to be a game where you have acres of space to attack and you need someone with Lukaku's physical stature, with his speed, with his ability to hold up the ball. And Edin Jekko is much more technical and brilliant tactically, and he's also a fighter. He helps out in defense. All of that is true. But you can't counter -attack with Edin Jekko. He's 37 years old. He can barely run.
