They could have won, but the execution failed.
Dense Defense, Cheerful Start
The Mexican team is considerably inferior to Inter in terms of status and player selection. The team could only rely on discipline in defense and luck when it came to counterattacks. In the 3-5-2 formation, Monterrey was quite reliable. The Mexicans tried to maintain density in their half, which was well succeeded at the start of the match.
The first minutes could even have been a knockout for Inter. In the 21st minute, at the start, Gusman finally finished off the moment and prevented Lautaro Martinez from getting to the ball, immediately after Matteo Darmian had hit the sparrow. And three minutes later, with a little “scratch” won a corner, which brought them the obstructed ball. Here, a decisive role was played by the new leader of the “blue and white” defense, Sergio Ramos. An experienced Spaniard correctly seized the moment of the jump and prevented Bastony from jumping. After resting on him, he crossed the ball into the net.
It was a magnificent move that allowed Monterrey to focus on defense and secured a final draw. Moreover, in the second half, the “striped” player had another striking moment: after a long shot ricocheted, the ball hit Bastony’s leg. The forward didn’t have time to adjust to the flight path. It would have been two goals from two shots on target and an abnormal execution.
New young player
Everyone is used to seeing Inter’s forwards like Marcus Tyuram and Lautaro Martinez. This time, Frenchman Christian Kiva decided to rest – from the very first minutes, young striker Sebastiano Esposito was released. The player moved to the Nerazzurri Academy at the age of 12 and went through the entire club vertical, so Milan could consider the striker their student.
It is logical that after graduating from the Academy, Sebastiano was unlucky – at first, Romelu Lukaku played in the team, then Lautaro Martinez became the leader of the attack, gradually Marcus Tyuram was added to his squad. Since the experienced Marco Arnautovich and Mehdi Taremi were signed for the Nerazzurri rotation, Esposito was in the deep reserve. The young striker was brought in on loan, starting with Serie B teams (Società Polisportiva Ars and Labor
I sleptYes, Sebastiano was eventually substituted, and he didn’t score with any effective plays, but the striker looked good. He played well in the final third, moved from the spot, and helped in the fight for the ball. At the same time, when finishing was needed, the striker closed down. He had a moment of despondency in the first half, with the score at 0:1, but Andrad reacted abnormally.The Nerazzurri played for the win.
Even before Monterrey opened the scoreboard, Inter held the advantage. The team struggled to advance due to the pressure, but they managed to pass, accelerating the pace of their attacks. The first moment came in the 21st minute, then after a series of quick bursts of play, they were able to deliver the ball to the penalty area, only Lautaro to come close to taking the pace of the attack.
The missed ball didn’t knock Inter out of the rut—the Milanese continued to increase the pressure. Almost immediately after the goal, the Mexicans began to cling to their penalty area, the Nerazzurri had more space for attacks. In the 28th minute, Carlos Augusto shot at Esposito (hit the goalkeeper in the leg), then a dangerous corner (the ball fell into the Monterrey player’s hand, the referee didn’t correct the foul). And shortly before the break, Christian Kiva cruelly played the penalty. Aslani smoothly crossed the opponent’s defense, Augusto immediately took off the keeper and put the ball into the far post. Lautaro Martinez, looking from the opponent, speeded past Rodriguez and closed down.
But the Mexicans were unable to maintain defensive integrity throughout the match. They struggled at the end of the first half, then missed the target again in the second. In the 68th minute, Barella received a pass. Being in a foreign support position, he was without a goalkeeper, so no one could stop him from sending a cross into the penalty area. The Taims brought it down – the midfielder took the ball instead of giving up touch, and the Argentine striker had already started to play behind the defenders. Martinez was on the sidelines, and the goal was disallowed. At the end, the Nerazzurri still fired at the Monterrey goal, but were unable to score a second.
Kiva needs confidence points
For Inter, a difficult chapter of history begins. The team’s outlook is murky – this Indzagi championed the integrity of the project, with him the Nerazzurri reached the Champions League twice, fought for trophies, and were a formidable force. This Indzagi managed to stop the most dangerous Barcelona and eliminate Bayern. The coach, who completely built the team for himself, went to Saudi Arabia, and now they have appointed Christian Kiva.
The Romanian manager’s plus is that he has an impressive history of working with Inter: seven years as a player, six years in the club structure as a coach. But Christian has minimal experience at a senior level and the same credit for trust. Club
Chempionat world World Cup
He will form an attitude towards Kiva, so the tournament should approach with appropriate responsibility. Christian Kiva Source link
