Cristian Chivu expressed that he was not preoccupied with Inter Milan's current position in the Serie A standings after their 2-1 victory over Genoa. Lautaro Martinez played a key role, scoring once and assisting
Yann Bisseck in the first half. Vitinha's goal in the 68th minute served only as a consolation at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris.
Inter Milan ended a streak of three away games without a win against Genoa in Serie A since October 2020. This victory allowed them to take advantage of AC Milan's 2-2 draw with Sassuolo and Napoli's 1-0 loss to Udinese earlier that day. Despite these developments, Chivu remained grounded, focusing on the game itself rather than future predictions.
Chivu commented on the challenging nature of the match, acknowledging the strong performance of Genoa under De Rossi. "I like to talk about the game and what I saw on the pitch," Chivu stated. He emphasized the significance of securing three points, which he deemed most crucial for his team.
Inter Milan has now achieved at least five wins from their first seven away league matches for three consecutive seasons, marking a historic achievement in their Serie A journey. When asked if Inter had been underestimated this season, Chivu noted that earlier predictions placed them as low as eighth or tenth place.
The coach highlighted his team's hard work to demonstrate their worth, stressing the need for consistency. "For me, we need a bit of consistency in everything," Chivu remarked. He acknowledged that success is not always guaranteed but emphasized understanding their objectives and methods.
Inter deserved their win against Genoa, achieving an expected goals (xG) total of 1.3 from 18 attempts compared to Genoa's 0.9 from five shots at Yann Sommer's goal. Following Vitinha's goal, Chivu introduced Marcus Thuram and Henrikh Mkhitaryan six minutes later to replace Petar Sucic and Francesco Pio Esposito.
Upcoming Challenges for Inter Milan
The substitutions were based on energy levels and form. Initially planning to bring Bonny on at 2-0, Chivu opted for Thuram instead due to his need for more speed. "I took Zielinski off and moved Akanji up because we needed two midfielders with a strong structure," he explained.
After reclaiming top position, Inter now shifts focus to the Supercoppa Italiana against Bologna in Riyadh on December 19. Last year's showpiece saw them defeated by rivals Milan with a score of 3-2. The significance of potentially securing a record-equalling ninth title is not lost on Chivu.
"An important game lies ahead of us in Riyadh," Chivu mentioned, emphasizing their focus solely on this upcoming challenge rather than other distractions.
