Chivu: "Commitment and ability to read the key moments: credit to the lads"

“We had a few issues to deal with and had to make some changes, playing with two attacking midfielders behind the striker for the first time this season. We tried to adapt by adjusting how we defended in our own half and by pressing them man-to-man in theirs, but we were a bit slow with our wing-back closing on their left-back. They also caused us problems because their forwards dropped deep to help with possession – they’re compact, quick, and technically gifted. We were good at understanding what needed to be done, and we also had a bit of luck too, but considering the effort and the limited preparation time, I think this performance is down to the players. They grasped the game quickly and threw themselves into it, knowing that at times you have accept Como’s possession play. They’re a team that can do so many things. Today, we had two forwards, and we decided to split their minutes. We had to make the best of the situation, and the players did well to read the difficulty and understand what could and should be done, even if it wasn’t a typical Inter performance and not the most attractive game to watch. It was a cautious match from both sides. When out of possession, they switched to a five-man defence, and the game wasn’t very fluid because there weren’t the right openings. They were trying to lure us in and create space for runs from deep. For us, it wasn’t simple: it’s the first time we’ve played with a double pivot and two attacking midfielders behind the striker, not in their usual roles. It’s all to play for in the return leg. As for the derby, I’m not sure what we’ll do yet, but we’ll have four days to prepare for it properly.”