Inter assistant manager Massimiliano Farris hailed his teams performance in their 4-2 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. After going ahead in the 17th minute thanks to Francesco Acerbi’s goal, the Nerazzurri closed the first half behind following Gianluca Mancini and El Shaarawy’s goals. In the second half, Marcus Thuram reopened the match in the 49th minute, followed by Angeliño’s own goal: in the end, Alessandro Bastoni definitively closed it, scoring a goal after over two years of drought. After the match, Farris gave an interview to DAZN microphones.
At the outset, Farris commented on Inzaghi’s halftime call, mentioned by Bastoni: “Actually, there isn’t a video call, there’s a communication from the coach who was rightly fired up because he didn’t see the team doing what they were supposed to do in the first half. We, the staff, were the intermediary, and then we conveyed his instructions to the boys. Which were things they knew too; in the first half, it wasn’t the Inter we’re used to seeing.”
“There’s credit to Roma because despite us taking the lead, they had a very good impact on the game. We conceded two avoidable goals, which we worked on anyway, and in the second half, the reason why these guys are so extraordinary emerged. They raised the tempo, found the right positions. It’s a group that when stimulated, especially in training, but also in crucial matches, can have twenty minutes of a half where they may falter, but in the second half, they put it right. But it must be a warning because playing against teams like Roma and going to these fields is very difficult. And even a team like ours, which is achieving incredible numbers, isn’t enough because the teams behind don’t give up, and above all because they put everything they have on the field and can put us in difficulty.”
On the adjustments made in the second half, Farris stated: “We managed, through mobility, to create the numerical superiority that could disrupt their pressure. Although, in reality, we expected a slightly higher initial press from Roma, it happened. We went ahead, they found the equalizer. This is a stadium that pushes, that gives enthusiasm, and the team stepped up. The second goal is a counter-attack that we could absolutely have avoided. In the second half, the adjustment was finding our positions, managing to play between the lines. Our midfield stepped up a lot, then this is a team made up of extraordinary players who, at the first sign we give them, can reverse any situation and bring it to our side.”
Looking back at the action for the 2-2 draw, the coach stated: “These are actions we try and retry, for example, moving into position quickly to catch the opponent off guard. However, the input at the end of the first half was to find the positions of the midfielders and if possible, exploit the presence of the wing-backs more in the opponent’s half, Darmian on one side and Dimarco on the other. This allowed us to pass the ball better and force Roma to stretch. They struggled to equalize the numerical superiority we created on the wings. Then again, there’s a lot of quality from the boys because this wasn’t an easy game.”
On the importance of this victory compared to the one against Juventus, Farris replied: “I couldn’t say. Probably both are important because keeping the teams behind at bay is extremely important, even though we know they won’t give up until the end. Coming back like this on this field wasn’t easy because it was initially fast, then it gradually got heavier, but the guys incredibly raised the quality of their play and despite the conditions, we brought out the best. The Inter of the second half is truly the Inter we know, and the boys also embraced each other with our fans, knowing they played a great game.”
For this Inter, is Lautaro Martinez or Thuram more important? “Arnautovic and Sanchez are important because when they come on, they contribute whether it’s for 5, 10, or 15 minutes. Marko made the assist today, but to understand the team’s desire even at 3-2, with the substitutions, to close it out to avoid risks, because we know Roma is dangerous if they bring you into your penalty area… So even at 3-2, finding the strength to keep them away and even search for the goal that would have sealed the game. An assist made by a player who comes off the bench for us is very important.”
arnautovic-inter-image-gpo.jpgFinally, on the imminent Champions League match against Atletico Madrid: “Actually, we haven’t focused on this match except by watching Atletico’s games. But there’s Salernitana first, and the team is so focused on its objectives that it has the ability to distinguish, so now we prepare for Salernitana. Atletico isn’t about what scares us; Atletico is a great team used to playing these matches, so we will study them calmly and try to face them in the best possible way, considering that the first leg will be at our home ground, and San Siro has always given us a great hand.”
