Three things Bayern Munich can learn from Inter Milan’s 3-2 loss to AC Milan

Ahead of Bayern Munich’s mid-week Champions League fixture against Inter Milan at the San Siro, here are three things that the club and Julian Nagelsmann can learn from the Nerazzurri’s 3-2 loss to AC Milan in Derby di Milano.

Edin Džeko is the lifeline of Inter

To put simply, Inter looked toothless until Džeko was subbed on. On his substitution, not only did he provide a goal, but also breathed life into a hapless Inter side, who then pushed Milan to their wits’ ends. An otherworldly performance by goalkeeper Mike Maignan was the only thing that kept Inter from scoring more than two goals. Every player, from Denzel Dumfries, to Nicolò Barella, looked a lot sharper after the Bosnian’s substitution. In Wednesday’s game, he will be the one to look out for.

Inter’s defense gives traffic cone vibes

With all due credit to Rafael Leão’s INCREDIBLE performance, Milan were also lucky that Inter’s defense was shambolic. It was after Milan’s first goal by Leão, that the defense worsened and made horrible errors, which were quite easily capitalized by the Rossoneri. The trio of Alessandro Bastoni, Stefan de Vrij and Milan Škriniar looked pathetic, as the likes of Leão and Olivier Giroud breezed past the static Inter defense. The defenders stood like traffic cones, watching Milan dominate what was simply not Inter’s game at all.

Inter cannot press, nor can they stand the press

If one had to narrow down one reason why the Nerazzuri lost, it is their vulnerability to Milan’s pressing that cost them the game.

Milan’s press threw Inter off completely, making them leave huge spaces all over the pitch. Simone Inzaghi’s usually-brilliant midfield looked clueless and static while being bullied by Stefano Pioli’s setup. A large part of the vulnerability can be credited to Romelu Lukaku’s absence — the Belgian’s presence is sorely missed by his teammates.

The midfield’s only saving grace was a decent performance by Marcelo Brozović, who, along with Džeko, made Inter hold up against Milan to an extent toward the end of the game. Even Barella, who is usually the showstopper with his brilliant offensive and defensive abilities, was largely unseen during the derby.

While Inzaghi’s Inter do play some attractive football, they do not press, and this will cost them dearly, especially against bigger sides. A lack of pressing probably won’t endanger them against sides like Cremonese (who Inter beat 3-1 earlier), but it has certainly shown them nothing but failure against sides like Lazio and Milan — and this will definitely be the case against Bayern too.

Is this not the game you were looking for? Well, we have plenty of coverage of Bayern Munich’s 1-1 draw with Union Berlin. To start off, why not check out our postgame podcast? Listen to it below or at this link.

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