Inter's Cristian Chivu Confronts Psychological Challenges Following Champions League Final Defeat

Inter Milan's coach, Cristian Chivu, emphasised the need for his team to overcome their recent setbacks after a tough loss to Juventus. The match ended in a 4-3 defeat, with Vasilije Adzic scoring a decisive goal late in the game. Despite taking the lead in the 76th minute through Marcus Thuram, Inter couldn't maintain their advantage.

Inter currently sits 11th in Serie A, trailing Napoli and Juventus by six points. This marks only the third time since the three-points-per-win era began that Inter has lost two of their first three matches in a top-flight season. Chivu acknowledged the psychological impact of last season's Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

Chivu expressed optimism about his team's efforts despite recent results.

"I saw good things tonight and in the second half against Udinese, even if we didn’t pick up points," he told DAZN Italia. He stressed the importance of moving past previous disappointments to focus on achieving positive outcomes.

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The last three Serie A clashes between Juventus and Inter have yielded 16 goals, matching the total from their previous eight meetings. In this latest encounter, Inter slightly edged out Juventus in expected goals (xG), with 0.96 from 18 shots compared to Juventus' 0.65 from 12 attempts at Yann Sommer's goal.

Despite Inter's pressure in the second half not translating into points, Chivu saw potential for growth. "I think we had a really good performance in the first and second half," he noted. However, he admitted that they faltered during crucial moments late in the match.

Chivu highlighted his team's determination to take control and play assertively throughout the game. "We came here to take the initiative, play with character, try to win and not settle for less," he stated. Yet, he acknowledged a lack of sharpness and awareness needed during critical final minutes.

Chivu remains confident in his squad's work ethic and believes they can build on positive aspects of their performances moving forward.