Have Inter Finally Turned A Corner?

Despite breaking even in the summer transfer market, it was widely acknowledged that Inter had done some great business. The players that were brought in were more suited to the system and philosophy of Luciano Spalletti than those who left, and it was just a matter of time before that would bear fruit on the pitch.

However, the season did not start too well. One win from their first four league matches left the Milan club languishing in the lower half of the table. And two late goals in the Champions League win over Tottenham Hotspur glossed over what was an unconvincing performance overall.

There was never a question there would be a bedding in period this term, so it was no surprise when the club chose to show patience with the coach when some were starting to call for his head. For all his technical talent, there were genuine doubts about his ability to install a winning mentality at the club. But, by the start of the international break in October, things started to look up.

Inter currently sit in third place in the Serie A table, just two points behind Napoli, and are level on points with Barcelona in Group B of the Champions League, six points ahead of third-ranked Tottenham. The performances have improved and there is an air of confidence building around the squad.

The real test will come after the next setback: Will Spalletti be able to keep his players’ heads up? How will they react? Can they make the tactical switches required to win key games? The upcoming clashes against rivals AC Milan and Barcelona will reveal if Inter have finally turned a corner or if it is just another false dawn.

Inter have now gone seven years without a trophy, a fact that seemed inconceivable after their incredible run of success in the post-millennium period. In that same period, Spalletti has won the Russian Premier League, Russian Cup and Russian Cup with Zenit St Petersburg, having previously won two Coppa Italia and one Supercoppa Italiana with Roma in the 2000s. Bringing glory back to Inter would represent his greatest achievement so far. The club are currently 6/1 to win the Coppa Italia and 33/1 in the Serie A betting.

One of the players who could be crucial in helping the coach in his quest is Lautaro Martinez. The highly-rated youngster looks like the real deal and already has a goal to his name having scored against Cagliari. He has only started twice so far for the Nerazzurri but a goal for Argentina in only his second ever start during the international break should see his confidence rise further.

The 21-year-old’s rise to the elite level has been a sudden one but he seems to be taking it all in his stride. The €16m fee that Inter paid Racing Club in the summer already looks like a bargain. By next summer – if he continues on his current trajectory – that figure should have doubled at least.

3 Games to make the Champions League

Inter Milan have three games to go in their Serie A campaign, and they have a four-point gap to close if they are to make the Champions League. Right now, they sit fourth with 66 points, but to reach the Champions League next season they have to finish in the top four, which means catching either Lazio or Roma, who both have 70 points going into this weekend.

The climax of the Italian league at the top will be all about this battle as the title looks all but set to go to Juventus. The giants of Italian football are 1/25 to lift the title in the latest Serie A betting after building a four-point cushion over their only remaining rivals Napoli. With that battle almost certain to be over by the time we reach the final weekend, all eyes will be on Inter Milan and their quest for fourth place, something which looks set to go down to the wire.

One thing going in Milan’s favour over the final three games is that they have two relatively easy games to close the gap and then a game against Lazio, one of their rivals for fourth spot. There is every chance that the race could come down to that game, with a winner takes all scenario which would provide a great end to the Italian season, even though the league title will more than likely be sorted by then. Their first game of the remaining three is a trip to Udinese, a team struggling towards the bottom of Serie A right now.

After facing Udinese, Inter should have another comfortable game in their last home game of the season against Sassuolo. They too are struggling towards the bottom, and anything less than six points from these two games will put an end to the Inter Milan challenge unless either Lazio or Roma make big mistakes too.

Of the teams currently holding onto the final two Champions League spots, Roma have the toughest run-in, which includes a game against league-leading Juventus. That game could be the one that allows Juventus to clinch the title, so Roma look sure to be up against it against them. Lazio won’t have it easy either, they have sixth-placed Atalanta to play this weekend, a team more than capable of taking something off them.

Should Lazio slip up then it is likely to set up a great final game between Inter Milan and Lazio, something the fans would love to see. The winner would make the Champions League next season, while the loser would be left in fifth with a Europa League spot.

Although a four-point deficit remains with three games to go, Inter Milan still have a chance to make the Champions League next season. They are outsiders to make it, but if things go their way it could set up a winner takes all clash with Lazio on the final day of the season.

Mourinho losing hope of signing Ivan Perisic

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has admitted that Inter Milan put up a good defence in their decision to keep hold of Ivan Perisic for the summer. The Croatia international has been on United’s radar since the start of last season, but unfortunately, the club have failed to strike a deal with their Serie A counterparts.

Mourinho’s side have failed with two bids for the 28-year-old attacker, but neither come close to the Nerazzurri’s valuation which currently stands at around £48.5m. The Red Devils have already pursued three signings in the form of Victor Lindelof, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic, and Mourinho would like at least one more addition to his squad before the transfer window closes this month.

Speaking to Premium Sport, Mourinho said: “Football is a business and, if we were to play against Inter tomorrow I would want to beat them, which is normal. Inter defended Perisic, and they put up a good defence.” By the looks of it, you’ll still be able to see Perisic in action by getting tickets through this website for Inter’s fixtures this season.

The Red Devils are bolstered with fair amount of young talent with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard capable putting in strong performances, but the manager is on the lookout for an experienced solution who can deliver day in day out. Perisic stood out in what was a dismal seventh place finish for Inter Milan last term, and Mourinho will remain optimistic of acquiring the former Wolfsburg man prior to the transfer deadline.

Meanwhile, Mourinho also spoke about the prospect of re-signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is a free agent following his release from Old Trafford. The big Swede notched 28 goals in all competitions for United last term, but he was nevertheless released after he sustained a serious knee injury which would keep him out of first-team action until the start of December, Mourinho added: “Maybe he’ll stay with us. He’s not got a contract, but he’s still close to Manchester, and the fact we are involved in the Super Cup now is also his merit.”

Icardi Enjoying Personal Success Despite Poor Inter Campaign

Inter Milan have become one of those sides in recent years to have endured an incredible fall from grace.

Along with San Siro rivals AC Milan, they are dwindling of late, despite such a rich club history both domestically in Italy and in European competition.

Inter Milan have become one of those sides in recent years to have endured an incredible fall from grace.

Along with San Siro rivals AC Milan, they are dwindling of late, despite such a rich club history both domestically in Italy and in European competition.

A host of managers have been brought in to try and overturn the Nerazzurri’s form and fortunes, but sadly to no avail. Those have included the likes of Frank de Boer, Roberto Mancini and Walter Mazzarri since 2013. Portuguese tactician and current Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho guided Inter to the pinnacle in 2010 with a historic treble triumph.

Success in the Champions League – where Inter beat Bayern Munich in the final – as well as Serie A and the Coppa Italia, saw them reign supreme. But it has been a turbulent spell for the club ever since reaching those dizzy heights, with very few positives standing out domestically.

One shining light during a bleak time in Milan, though, is the maintained clinical form of reliant frontman and club captain Mauro Icardi. The Argentine attacker has been constantly – and bizarrely – overlooked for international duties by his South American country.

He is priced at 6/1 in the Serie A betting to finish as top scorer this season once again. At club level, Icardi has been rampant with each passing season and is evidently one of the top strikers in world football during the current climate.

At just 24 years of age, he has a huge responsibility on his shoulders at the San Siro, having been handed the captain’s armband prior to the 2015/16 campaign.

The forward replaced former skipper Andrea Ranocchia, who had lost his role after a poor season before that. Icardi, who arrived for around £7 million from Sampdoria back in 2013, has become Inter’s key man in attack, winning the Capocannoniere for the 2014/15 term.

The South American attacker has continued to impress in the Inter frontline and has already surpassed his best scoring tally for a season at the San Siro this campaign. With 26 strikes recorded after week 35 in Italy’s top flight, he is proving his worth as one of Europe’s best finishers.
Icardi must be admired for his commitment, too. Despite fresh criticism over his leadership qualities as captain and a worrying fallout with fans over a dispute with the club’s ultras, he has remained grounded and loyal to the Nerazzurri cause.

In spite of his club continuing to suffer shock results at the hands of teams they should be easily seeing off in Serie A, Icardi is enjoying much personal success. The in-form forward is the runaway top scorer in his own side domestically with 24 league goals, while the closest to him is Ivan Perisic, on ten successful attempts.

Such a statistic proves that Inter must do all they can to strengthen their ranks in the coming months in order to take the pressure and goalscoring burden off of Icardi. The summer transfer window should be a busy period for Italian manager Stefano Pioli.

The 51-year-old is the latest coach to arrive on the scene and will hope to oversee a change in fortunes at the San Siro. But if he is to achieve such a feat, he will need to rebuild his ranks in the summer and focus his team around clinical captain Icardi.

Inter Milan Must Invest in January

Heading into the winter break in Italy, Inter Milan are already 15 points adrift of leaders Juventus in the Serie A table. Stefano Pioli’s side have a lot of work to do if they are to qualify into the Champions League next season.

One of the biggest priorities for the club next month, once the January transfer window opens, is to make sure they retain the services of Mauro Icardi. The 23-year-old striker has been the one bright spark this season where he has scored 14 goals so far in the 2016/17 campaign.

Inter are now 8/1 with bet365 for a top three finish at the end of the season. They have won their last two fixtures in Serie A as they beat Genoa 2-0 at the San Siro, while seven days later they were successful away from home as they defeated Sassuolo 1-0.

Pioli will be hoping to add some quality to his squad in January and here are three players who could be on his shortlist.

Yaya Toure
Inter’s chief target next month is thought to be Manchester City’s Yaya Toure. The former African Footballer of the Year was frozen out of the first-term earlier in the season with the English club by manager Pep Guardiola due to a fallout.

Toure has though recently returned to the starting XI for City where he has impressed, including in his side’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal.

The former Barcelona midfielder’s contract is up at the end of this season and there does not look to be any sign of the two parties sitting together. This could allow Inter to pick the player up in January for a minimal fee.

Toure has been linked with Inter a number of times in his career and he may now see it as the perfect opportunity to move to Italy. If Pioli can get the best out of the 33-year-old, he will have one of the best midfielders in Europe.

Mario Balotelli
When Mario Balotelli left Liverpool in the summer, his career was on the dip. He joined French outfit Nice in Ligue One as they were one of the few clubs who were prepared to take a chance on the Italian.

Balotelli has helped inspire his side to the top of the standings in France. He has scored six goals in his seven league games this season as he appears to be finding his best form again.

It was with Inter in 2007 that the Italy international made a name for himself. Although he would still be deemed as a risk, if Pioli can sign him and Balotelli keeps up his goalscoring run, he could help them reach the top three in the standings this season.

Frank Lampard
Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard left New York City FC last month as his two-year contract with the MLS club came to an end.

At the age of 38, the Englishman is no longer at his best, however, on a free transfer he may just add some much-needed cover and quality to the midfield over the next six months.

Inter May Struggle to Attract Quality
The biggest problem Pioli may have next month is persuade top-class talent to join his squad. Without any Champions League football and things looking bleak for European action next season, it could prove to be a hard sell.

ARSENAL BATTLE LEICESTER FOR INTER DEFENDER

English clubs Arsenal FC and Leicester City are battling for Inter Milan defender, Jeison Murillo who has been with the club for a year.

There are reports from Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport that the centre back could move to Emirates this summer.

English clubs Arsenal FC and Leicester City are battling for Inter Milan defender, Jeison Murillo who has been with the club for a year.

There are reports from Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport that the centre back could move to Emirates this summer.

Newly crowned Premier League champions, Leicester City are also reported to be interested in the player in a bid to beef up their defense and have backups especially as they would be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season.

The 24-year old Colombia international has impressed at the heart of Inter’s defence alongside former Atletico Madrid man Miranda. Whilst some German websites, including the spielautomaten, have linked Murillo to Bayern Munich, many expect him to move on to the Premier League soon.

Gunners coach, Arsene Wenger is believed to be on the lookout for a new centre-back to partner with Laurent Koscielny in the coming season. The French tactician wants to strengthen the spine of Arsenal’s team, with a commanding defender on his wanted list.

The Gunners are also being linked by the pundits at Automatenherz with a bid for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and have also been linked with injured Chelsea star Kurt Zouma.

Arsenal are also Interested in Inter Milan attackers Mauro Icardi and Ivan Perisic but the club through the president has reiterated their stance of the players. The president Erick Thohir said the players are not for sale at any price as there have been lots of interests. Ivan Perisic scored 10 goals in 41 games last season while Mauro Icardi scored 16 goals in 34 appearances for the Italian outfit.

Thohir told Corriere dello Sport that the players are crucial to help the club achieve success at the Europa league they would be involved in next season. The president also discarded speculations that the club would acquire Lazio winger Antonio Candreva this summer.

He said: “Candreva? I don’t think we will be doing business with Lazio. We already have Icardi, Perisic, Eder, (Rodrigo) Palacio, (Jonathan) Biabiany and (Stevan) Jovetic in attack. Where would Candreva play if we signed him as well?”

INTER AIMING HIGH

Inter Milan have been one of the teams in the race for the Italian Serie A title for the 2015-16 season. The club have been living up to the tradition of Italian clubs being very defensive.

Most of the nine wins achieved by Inter have been by a small margin. Much of the good form has been built on a stable defence that has conceded very few goals. In fact, Inter Milan have the best defensive record in the Italian league this season.

When asked about the possibility of entertaining fans more by scoring goals, Mancini stated that he would rather win 1-0 till the end of the season.

It appears clear that Roberto Mancini is very keen on lifting the league title once again with the club. The former Manchester City boss led the club to several league titles before 2010, but there remains a huge question mark about the credibility of those titles.

Back then, AC Milan were clearly not focusing on the league while Juventus were fighting hard to return to the top division after being relegated.

Hence, it has been maintained that Inter won those titles due to a lack of competition although Mancini tends to differ. Fans of other Serie A clubs point to this list of Microgaming Pokies at Pokies Palace and say that, much like the Serie A championships in those years, there really isn’t much competition as to which one is the best!?

A title victory now would help Mancini back his claims.

“I love a 1-0 win and if we win the next 15 matches by that scoreline then that would be perfect. There is so much chatter but we like hearing other people talk about us. You need good, intelligent lads in any dressing room. They have a great relationship.”

“Sometimes in a family there are disagreements – it can happen between parents and their children so just imagine having 30 people from different countries. This is the best squad I’ve ever had in that regard and I’ve barely ever heard them have any problems,” said Mancini.

JUVE START SLOWLY

Juventus are in danger of conceding the Italian Serie A title for the first time in more than four years. The team has been champions since the winning run began in the 2011-12 season.

Inter Milan went on a similar run of five straight league titles before failing to even qualify for the Champions League. Juventus are going through a similar spell after the loss of important players in the summer.

Juventus are in danger of conceding the Italian Serie A title for the first time in more than four years. The team has been champions since the winning run began in the 2011-12 season.

This has led to manager Massimiliano Allegri’s job coming under speculation. The Champions League campaign did began in a positive fashion but problems have started cropping up even there.

Juventus are danger of finishing second in the group stages, which would mean a tougher draw in the last 16 stages. The former AC Milan boss, though, remains cool and states that it will not be important if Juventus lose the top spot to Manchester City.

Despite losing the opening game, City have been able to climb to the top spot after winning three consecutive games. Juventus have shown a reversal in form after starting with two victories.

The upcoming game against City, though, could potentially decide the winner of the group. Second spot does appear to be confirmed if the Italian outfit take at least a point from the next game against City. It might be worth keep you eyes on the StanJames live bets index, as if City score first then Juventus simply have to score to stand any chance of going through.

“It’s an important game because it could influence who comes first in the group. We’ve got to aim to win tomorrow as it’s the only result that guarantees us qualification. Our aim from day one was to win the group, but just qualifying would still be a great result for us. If we don’t get a win, then we’ll be reliant on Sevilla’s game at Monchengladbach, but we’ve got to aim to play 95 minutes the way we have to do, aware we’re up against one of the strongest sides in Europe,” said Allegri.

MANCINI STARTS WITH DRAW

Inter Milan recently brought back Roberto Mancini for a second spell at the club in order to replace Walter Mazzarri, who was sacked just into the international break.

Mancini’s return to the San Siro has been marked with one of the games of the campaign. Their match against archrivals AC Milan on Sunday night was seen as a major chance for Mancini to get confidence back into the team.

Inter Milan recently brought back Roberto Mancini for a second spell at the club in order to replace Walter Mazzarri, who was sacked just into the international break.

However, they could only achieve a 1-1 draw and it required a second-half goal from Inter to get this point. Joel Obi score the equaliser in the second half to save Mancini’s blushes, but the Italian admitted after the match that Inter need a lot of work to be done and that success cannot come over night.

Inter have been struggling to get back to the Italian elite level in the last few years. They are without any form of European football this campaign. After a poor start under Mazzarri, Inter are looking once again unlikely to finish in the top three.

Mancini won several league titles with Inter in his first spell, when they were powered by the goals of star-striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich, which made them favourites for the league in the eyes of the Swedish bookmakers. Even though those titles are heavily disputed due to the lack of proper competition at that period, the former Manchester City manager is held in high regard. It may be awhile before he starts winning league titles with this Inter team.

“Derbies are always difficult and this was no different. I am very happy with the way the team moved, as with five days together to change a system after a year and a half playing 3-5-2 was not easy. They all did very well. I don’t expect to change a team completely in five days, especially when the systems are different. It will take time, but our objective is to win as many games as possible quickly, even if we’re not at 100 per cent,” said Mancini.

IN DECLINE

Inter Milan have been consistently on the decline for the last few years and this has been the miss out on aspects like Champions League football last year. In fact, they had no form of European football this season after finishing at a lowly ninth last season.

This year also proves to be yet another disappointment for the team, as they are set to miss out on Champions League. However, there is an opportunity for Inter to reach the Europa league and this is very important for the club according to defender Andrea Ranocchia.

Ranocchia has been one of the success stories for Inter over the last few years. He came through the ranks when the club were under the management of Jose Mourinho. He is now one of the important members of the squad. At 24 years of age, though, he says that he is very desperate to play in the European football every year. This statement will come as a major warning for the club, as it could potentially lead to a transfer request from the player if they failed to qualify for the top European competitions in the coming seasons. The club has been defiant that the former Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri is the right man for the job.
The president recently revealed that he plans to keep the manager beyond this season.

“It is a positive moment for me personally. I’m in good shape, I hope to continue that way and to give Inter a hand in qualifying for Europe. It’s crucial we qualify, it’s the only goal we have and we absolutely must achieve it in order for us to build a good team for next season. A team like Inter should cannot allow itself to be out of Europe for two consecutive seasons. I’m hoping that next year will be the year of a rebirth for us,” said the defender.