Inter Milan's season has been under intense scrutiny, yet Cristian Chivu remains optimistic about their performance. Despite being third in Serie A and sixth in the Champions League, Chivu believes the team is on a positive trajectory. Inter recently lost 1-0 to Liverpool, but Chivu insists they dominated much of the match and are still contenders in both domestic and European competitions.
Chivu emphasises that Inter began the season with high expectations. Critics labelled them as failures early on, but he argues that their current standing is commendable. "We started the season under a magnifying glass," he said. "People said we were failures, and we were finished. But we are still up there and that is not to be taken for granted. "
The coach
stresses the importance of maintaining their identity while striving for improvement. He acknowledges there have been ups and downs but remains confident in their approach. "Some might say that we ought to be more negative and defensive, going for the draw, but I don't want us to lose our identity," Chivu stated.
Inter's desire to dominate Serie A and Europe is evident in their playstyle. Chivu highlights that even though they've faced challenges, they have rarely performed poorly throughout an entire match. "Excluding the Club World Cup, we have had 21 games where, at most, we got two halves wrong," he explained.
Looking ahead to their clash with Genoa, Chivu is cautious of his former Roma teammate Daniele De Rossi's influence as Genoa's coach. De Rossi has led Genoa to an unbeaten streak in four Serie A matches, lifting them to 15th place. The last three encounters between Inter and Genoa ended in draws.
Chivu admires De Rossi's leadership qualities from their time together at Roma. "I had four marvellous years at Roma," he recalled. "De Rossi was a captain without the armband. " As they prepare for this fixture, Chivu knows Inter must be at their best against a rejuvenated Genoa side.
Key Players to Watch
Genoa's Brooke Norton-Cuffy stands out as a promising young defender this season. Born in 2004, he has already scored and assisted in Serie A matches. His successful take-ons rank him third among defenders in Italy's top league.
For Inter, Federico Dimarco has been instrumental with five assists this season, matching Nico Paz for the most assists in Serie A. Dimarco is among only six players across Europe's top leagues to achieve five or more assists over three consecutive seasons.
Match Prediction: Inter Favoured
Inter Milan holds a strong record against Genoa, having won nine of their last 12 encounters since February 2018. Despite Genoa's recent form with five unbeaten matches (three wins), Inter remains favourites with a 59.6% win probability according to Opta statistics.
Chivu's coaching record at Inter boasts a 71.4% win rate from 14 Serie A games, second only to Leonardo's 73.9% during his tenure. As they face Genoa next, Inter aims to continue their pursuit of success both domestically and internationally while maintaining their distinct style of play.
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