For the third time in the last six seasons, Inter were declared Serie A champions. The 2-0 victory over Parma, combined with Napoli’s 0-0 draw against Como and Milan’s 0-2 away loss to Sassuolo, saw the “Bianconeri” secure their 21st Italian championship with three games to spare.
Despite being surprisingly eliminated from the Champions League in the play-off round by Norwegians Bodo/Glimt, Inter can end the season with a double if they beat Lazio in the Coppa Italia final on May 13.
Throughout the season, Inter have been propelled forward by the goals of attacking duo Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, who have scored a combined 38 goals.
However, a big part of the success this season (and in recent seasons) has been due to a midfield that mixes hard work with creativity, linking defence with attack and constantly creating chances for Martinez and Thuram. As with every elite team in European football, the midfield is the “engine” of the team. But what makes Inter’s midfield so balanced?
Experience and big winners
Inter’s midfield core has been built over the years on players with experience and a winning mentality. With Hakan Çalhanoğlu (32) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (37), the Italian champions have two “pillars” with rich CVs. Mkhitaryan in particular has played for big European clubs and won the Europa League with Manchester United and the Conference League with Roma.
Despite being 37, Mkhitaryan has played over 1,800 minutes in the title-winning season. Despite his age, he – with Davide Frattesi (26) as a very capable substitute – gives Inter tenacity, aggression and quality on the ball, helping the team control the midfield battle.
This gives space to players like Çalhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski and youngster Petar Sucic (22) to show their creativity, feeding the attackers up front. These midfielders have made great contributions in goals and assists, while working tirelessly in the defensive phase as well.
If we also take into account the numbers of wingers Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, it becomes even clearer how strong the midfield “five” is in the fluid 3-5-2 formation.
The “diamond” of the midfield: Nicolo Barella
Although Inter have a lot of quality in midfield, the main star is considered to be vice-captain Nicolò Barella. The 29-year-old joined Inter from Cagliari in July 2019 for €32.5 million and has been almost always among the first names in the lineup since then.
Barella ideally combines unstoppable pressure on the opponent, decisive passes and contribution in both phases of the game.
He has become irreplaceable not only for Inter, but also for Italy, where he has 70 appearances. In addition to experience, he also has the intelligence to “take the game in hand” when the team needs it.
It is precisely this combination of hard work and creativity – which Barella and his teammates provide – that is why Inter have that balance in midfield that allows them to control the game at every stage.
Although they have fallen behind expectations in Europe in recent years, in Italy Inter remain the team to beat. And even though Mkhitaryan and Çalhanoğlu are entering the final stages of their careers, Inter seem to have enough quality to maintain this balance that has become the key to success.
