Inter: Hakimi, Darmian, Perisic, Young and D’Ambrosio, treasure of Conte

Lu-La goes on automatic pilot and can afford a day without a goal. Those that the midfield hasn’t scored for a couple of months (Barella, on February 9 in Florence) and that the defense preserves: 4 goals just to the passive in the last 13 outings. Yet in Conte’s chopper Inter the backbreaking work of the outsiders is often underestimated. And that’s why the goal splits Cagliari, on the Hakimi-Darmian axis, made the coach doubly happy.

Booked substitutions

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The commuters of the band with him literally have to split up. It is true that as a general concept everyone is called upon to defend and attack. It is also true that Brozovic is about to win the title of marathon runner of the championship for the fourth year in a row (12 km scarce per race) and that “four lungs” Barella is just behind, in fifth position, but Conte asks his outsiders for flare-ups of 60-70 meters that leave you in apnea. So much so that of the five substitutions per game, two are already booked for the so-called “fifths”.

Never in midfield

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In fact, in Antonio’s 3-5-2 the non-possession phase includes a five-man defensive line, but as soon as the ball is recovered, the men in the wing – who in fact never stay in midfield – must accompany the action, attack the depth without just being an alternative for passing, but finding the bottom and above all attacking the far post in situations that result in a cross. The photograph of yesterday’s goal against Cagliari, with Lukaku attracting Godin out of the center of the area and catching Hakimi’s insertion for the dry cross that on the left finds the other winger, Darmian, as a terminal. The photocopy of Perisic’s goal in Florence, with Sanchez triggering “Beep Beep” Hakimi and the Croatian exploiting the collapse of the opposing defense at the far post.

Safe turnover

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Now that Darmian – whose only previous center had arrived in the Champions League – has also joined the club, the division in the league has put together a haul of 12 goals and 9 assists. Hakimi has a big voice with 6 goals and 4 assists, D’Ambrosio had scored 3 times at the beginning of the season, Perisic has two goals and a winning pass, Darmian the opposite. With Kolarov out of competition, the only one still dry is Young, however, author of two assists (the last for Lukaku, against Sassuolo) and very reliable when in the last three outings he took the place of the injured Perisic. Without forgetting that, apart from Hakimi, the others also have the advantage of flexibility. That is, they can play both on the right and on the left, with the two Italians also used in the three behind. Not bad, for a department that someone called the weak point of the leaders.