Hello Interfriends,
Another draw for
Inter, this time away to Fiorentina with a 1-1 score and little
help for the standings. Inter once again gifted the whole
first half to Fiorentina and only started playing in the second
but it was too little to late. Goals by Dainelli in the first
half and Adriano in the second were the highlights with Stankovic
getting a red card late in the game.
Fiorentina play
in a 4-4-1-1 fomration with Nakata playing behind Miccoli.
Mancini decides to change his tactics for some unknown reason
and plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Why did Mancini change his
ways?? Inter's play has settled into a system over the past
2 months of the season and Mancini changed it all in the first
half. With C. Zanetti and Cambiasso playing above the defence
and with Recoba and Van Der Meyde playing wide with Adriano
up front alone.
In theory, the
wide players should be able to cut in and shoot as well as
support Adriano. In reality, the brazilian star was left isolated.
So much so in fact that Adriano was forced to go wide to the
wings to find any space and a decent ball. It may have been
the suspension of Veron or the new tactics, but Inter struggled
to create any kind of play or goal scoring chance. Something
they have done with great ease all season.
Fiorentina on the
other side played there system well and used the full width
of the pitch with Jorgensen and Ariatti who both put pressure
on the Inter defence from each side. Miccoli is a quick player
and understands that Cordoba is just as fast so the ex Juve
player forced his attacks through Materazzi. The central pressure
allowed Nakata to move into the space and caused problems
on every attack.
Dainelli gets the
goal at the 26th minute for Fiorentina off a corner kick.
The goal was deserved and arrived after Toldo made two miracle
saves to keep the game scorelesss. Even after the goal, Inter
did little to react and infact did not even have a corner
kick in there favor the whole first half.
The second half
was another story. Mancini went back to the 4-4-2 formation
and brings on Martins for Van Der Meyde. Inter play better
football right from the start and began to attack space and
move the ball well into offensive positions, something they
did not do in the first half at all. Inter could have tied
the match many times, first with a back heel by Stankovic
that just hit the side netting. Martins had a chance to score
but his effort was cleared off the line by a defender, and
then Lupatelli made a great stop on a booming shot by C. Zanetti.
Fiorentina was
unable to come out of there half, but Inter once again could
not put away the chances presented to them. With Inter out
in attack mode it left room for the Viola to play the counter-attack
and at the 25th minute Miccoli broke free but hit the post.
Fiorentina decide
to cover there bases and Jorgenson comes off for Ujfalusi
to provide more cover in the midfield. Mancini responds by
taking out Recoba and bringing on Emre. Adriano gets the goal
at the 35th minute as he takes advantage of a C. Zanetti flick
on from a corner and puts the ball in the net to make it 1-1.
Inter go forward
in the last 10 minutes to try and get the win with good efforts
but when Stankovic gets a second yellow for protests, Inter
are left in ten men. Inter goes forward still trying to find
the 3 points and Mancini even puts in Cruz in place of C.
Zanetti but the move did not work and the 1-1 scoreline held
to give Inter its 8th draw in 10 matches.
More points wasted,
especially since Juventus lost yesterday. Once again it was
a tale of missed chances and allowing the other team the run
of play for the whole first half. Inter need to get a roll
going as this now is no longer a bump in the road but a full
on crisis. Inter may be the only undefeated team in Serie
A, but it is little consolation when they are only 4 points
away from second last in the table.
Eddy
Lio |
