Match Review, Udinese 0 - 0 Inter

UDINE – If we’re being honest, it wasn’t the best game. But if Musso hadn’t pulled off the spectacular save he made to keep out Keita, we’d be talking about a different scenario. One thing is clear: Inter’s territorial dominance against Udinese was there for all to see. The statistics back this up: the Nerazzurri had 72.4% of the ball, made eleven interceptions and completed 651 passes with a 91.1% completion rate. Furthermore, Spalletti’s men produced a total of 33 crosses and had eleven shots, while they also attacked 68 times (15 times down the middle, 30 down the right and 23 down the left). These are facts and figures that point to a team looking to get forward. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a goal to show for this attacking play.

It’s a season where the race for the Champions League will probably be decided on the last day. Yesterday’s result was not the one we desired, but it was always a possibility. Nevertheless, we remain in charge of our own destiny. Something that needs to be highlighted in particular is the way the Nerazzurri defended: Udinese never caused Spalletti’s men problems, and the statistics relating to our defence are truly excellent. Handanovic, who was never really troubled throughout the match, kept his 16th clean sheet of the season – the most out of all the goalkeepers in Serie A this season. The Skriniar-De Vrij partnership in central defence was once again rock solid: the duo won an impressive 100% of the duels they were involved in. The same applied to D'Ambrosio, while Asamoah’s percentage was positive too (66.7%). It therefore comes as no surprise that Inter were able to stop their opponents from scoring once more.

Borja Valero’s performance was interesting too. His passing was impressive: he only misplaced two balls throughout the match (a precision rate of 96.7%). It was clear what the Spaniard, who was named in Inter’s starting line-up, wanted to do: he looked to keep the ball, get involved in the play and penetrate the opposition’s defence. Something was just missing when it came to our finishing, even if Ninja did his best to continue the good spell he’s going through and find the back of the net for the Nerazzurri: he had six shots in total but unfortunately wasn’t in luck.

And now? Now is the time to stay united and remain calm because everything still depends on us. Champions League qualification is still within our grasp. We need to take a giant stride forward. We need a win, and the upcoming Monday night clash against ChievoVerona presents an opportunity to add another three points to our tally. It’s in these moments when you predominantly see men rather than players. And it’s in these moments when, historically, we’ve tended to produce something extra. Come on lads, let’s not rest on our laurels! Forza Inter!