Interviewed by the Gazzetta Dello Sport, an ex player of both teams, Cristian Chivu, has discussed Sunday’s clash between the Nerazzurri and Giallorossi: “A high-paced game, Inter and Roma are doing well physically and mentally. One seeks continuity , the other to ward off Napoli and close the gap to Juventus “.
You played under Spalletti for a long time …
“A great coach, he has a way of talking to the team and to motivate the players in a unique way. He’s very attentive to the details, picky. As a footballer I often did not understand, I now understand: prevention is better than the cure.”
You have not worked with Pioli however. What do you think of his work?
“He’s doing something extraordinary and at the same time I think he is aware that this winning streak needs to continue to return to the Champions League. Inter have lost points when they had a duty to win. But when you choose a coach like De Boer you know you’ll be ready to face the difficulties. Then it would have been better first to assess whether or not to bet on him.”
Tactically there are several interesting aspects in Sunday’s match.
“I remember what happened in the first leg (2-1 for Roma), when Inter lacked the organization when not in possession of the ball. I think that Roma will still try to take advantage of their vertical passing and speed on the wings. The alternative will be a “physical” match with reliance on Dzeko’s hold up play. ”
You are a former full-back, how would you face Salah?
“When I used to challenge fast players like Messi or Robben I preferred to stay a little detached from them, trusting in the double marking of the centre-back on my side or the midfielder of that sector on the pitch”.
So Salah is a key factor. And for Inter?
“Perisic is essential in big matches. He runs, has vision and scores goals. If Roma will play at 3 behind, the Croatian could face a central defender out of his comfort zone on the wing.”
Do you think that one day Inter and Roma will return to fight for the Scudetto?
“To get to the level of Juventus you need more than just eleven great players and a great coach. You need a healthy club that defends you, and has tradition and history of winning”.
Source: Gazzetta Dello Sport
