5 Takeaways from Inter Milan v Cagliari

It was a good win for Inter Milan as they posted a 2-0 result over the weekend against Cagliari.

With that, here are five takeaways we picked up from the win.

This team feeds off of momentum

This result marks a 4 game win streak for Inter Milan. You can already get the sense that the victory over Tottenham was a turning point on the season. After struggling early, the Nerazzurri appear to be on a roll since the Champion’s League opener.

With a winning mentality and high spirits in the locker room, this match felt different from the beginning. The squad had confidence and determination (something that had been severely lacking in prior games). The momentum can be boiled down even further to individual matches. Inter are unbeaten in games in which they score first this season. Goals breed more goals as well, and the difference in the attack and space on the pitch is apparent.

With athletic wingers and deadly targets in the middle, the added spacing after early scoring bodes very well for Inter in the future. They seem to lose concentration after long lapses without a goal however. What started off looking like an eventual blowout win almost became a draw due to the squad falling asleep. Spalletti needs to push this team throughout the 90 minutes. It should be noted that the 2 notches in the loss column were scoreless efforts from Inter. Hopefully Inter can ride this wave to an epic win streak similar to last season’s.

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The Inter attack has great depth

It is beyond refreshing for this team to be able to go out and get a two-goal victory with neither Ivan Perisic nor Mauro Icardi in the starting lineup. With Lautaro Martinez fit, Luciano Spalletti has a replacement for Icardi that we can be confident in. Past seasons saw Rodrigo Palacio and Eder taking the striker’s role whenever Icardi needed a rest. While those and others often got the job done, Lautaro offers excitement for a change.

This creates depth unseen in recent seasons when coupled with a variety of lethal options on the wings. Almost any combination Spalletti puts on the pitch can pump out goals. Even Antonio Candreva looks good when he’s not out there every single match. As the season charges on, injuries and exhaustion are inevitable. Inter will have a huge advantage with such a strong rotation in the attack.

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Matteo Politano is the man

I have been high on this guy since the preseason. For awhile, I thought maybe it was just the relief of not having Candreva out on the side that blinded me. However, week after week Matteo Politano has continued to impress. This match saw him earn his first goal on a sweet volley to go along with his 2 assists this season.

The Italian has been able to beat anyone he goes up against in a 1-on-1. I think his set pieces and creativity are going to be vital for this Inter squad going forward. This past mercato saw Inter flirting with several options for the right wing, and many fans may have been disappointed in his signing when compared to other options. While it is still early, his addition looks like a steal. When fielding our best XI, he has earned a spot opposite of Perisic.

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There is still some uncertainty in the midfield

Radja Nainggolan is a stud in the front of the midfield. We know that. But there is alot of disparity behind him. This game saw Borja Valero and Roberto Gagliardini playing together. There has been plenty of desire for Gags to return to the starting lineup, but this match has completely deflated my confidence in him. He seemed uneasy in this match. His touch was very poor and was visibly frustrated several times yesterday.

This confirms that Marcelo Brozovic is crucial to the team as well. When playing, Epic Brozo controls the game and dominates possession. Borja did a good job replacing Brozo in this role, even with Gagliardini’s struggles along side him. The old man is solid and consistent if nothing else. If Henrique Dalbert continues to improve, Kwadwo Asamoah can emerge as an option in the midfield. There is also Matias Vecino fighting for starts ... so which midfield combination would you want moving forward?

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VAR can also be our friend

After the Sampdoria debacle, Inter fans may have started thinking that the video assistant referee was employed purely to destroy us. That quickly changed after VAR bailed the Nerazzurri out against Cagliari. It was clearly the correct decision, but is still comforting having a pivotal moment go our way. The disallowed goal finally lit a fire back in the team as well, powering us to the victory. The VAR is back on our good side, at least for now.

What do you think? Post your comments below!