Inter are still the best team in the Italian Serie A and also showed it on Saturday when the team coached by Cristian Chivu won 3-2 at San Siro against Juventus. Despite a controversial decision from the referee at the end of the first half, when Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Alessandro Bastoni, Inter finally managed to win against one of the top Serie A teams.
The Nerazzurri have so far struggled to rise to the occasion against Europe’s elite, both domestically and on the international stage. In Serie A, they suffered defeats to AC Milan and Napoli, while in the UEFA Champions League league phase, they were beaten by Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal. As a result of those setbacks, Inter are now forced into the playoff round, where they will face Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday (3 p.m. ET on Paramount+) for the first leg, looking to advance to the round of 16.
Inter played two Champions League finals in the last three years and even if their primary target is to win the Scudetto again, they can potentially have success in their European campaign thanks to their recent form, winners of six in a row.
Here’s what to know about the win over Juve and what’s to come:
A controversial decision
The controversial decision took place at the end of the first half in Milan when the referee Federico La Penna decided to send off Kalulu for a second yellow card for a foul on Bastoni. However, after reviewing the footage, it became clear that the contact on the Inter defender’s shoulder was far less significant than it initially appeared. Despite that, VAR was unable to intervene. Under the current regulations in place until the end of the season, the video review can only overturn on-field decisions in cases involving red cards. Juventus were forced to play the remaining part of the game with 10 men, leading to their defeat at San Siro.
The post-match became heated as Juventus directors Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli tried to confront the referee at the end of the first half in the tunnel alongside Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti. The Italian coach didn’t speak after the match but left the floor to Chiellini, who seemed particularly frustrated.
“After what happened today, it’s difficult to talk about football. Once again, something unacceptable occurred; you can’t ruin a match of this level. This is a spectacle we present to the world; things need to change immediately, without the usual procrastination that often happens in Italian football. Since the beginning of the year, we have pointed out that there isn’t a structure suitable for a league of this standard. We can’t keep going like this. Decisions like the one made tonight simply cannot be taken so lightly.”
The Italian chief of referees Gianluca Rocchi spoke on the matter to ANSA and reported, “La Penna is devastated and we stand by him, but I have to tell you the truth: he isn’t the only one who made a mistake. Because yesterday there was a clear dive. The recent in a long series, in a league where they try in every possible way to deceive us.”
Inter’s depth will be key to UCL run
Despite the episode mentioned above, Inter showed their full potential on Saturday, also thanks to the decisions made by Chivu in the second half. Unlike the past years when the second lines were not performing as the starting players, this season things are going much better. Francesco Pio Esposito, one of the most interesting Italian talents, scored a key goal against Juventus in the second half, while Piotr Zielinski scored the last-minute winning goal. Last season, the Polish midfielder didn’t play regularly under Simone Inzaghi’s management, but this season, also thanks to the recurring injuries of Hakan Calhanoglu, he played much more and has already scored six goals in all competitions, three in the last four Serie A games.
While the second lines are more involved in the rotations and are performing better, Inter struggled more when they faced the top teams, and this is why the win against Juventus can become a turning point of the season ahead of the crucial last stretch. Inter faced a major setback in the closing months of last season, finishing without a single trophy and suffering a heavy 5–0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League final in Munich. It was a bitter ending that left a mark on the squad and its ambitions ahead of the current season, which also led to the departure of Inzaghi and the appointment of Chivu.
This season, however, the narrative could be very different. Lifting the Serie A trophy would not only make them forget last season’s disappointment but also reaffirm Inter’s status at the top of Italian soccer, while look to once again also conquer Europe.
