Lavelli and Sucic: “An incredible and emotional end to the game”
First Team
— 4 hours agoThe young Inter striker and Croatian midfielder share their thoughts after the win over Fiorentina
Two substitutes who made their mark on a dramatic finish at San Siro, showing once again just how determined this Inter side are to fight until the final whistle. Petar Sucic, who came on in the 78th minute, and Matteo Lavelli, introduced in the 85th, played important roles in the Nerazzurri's stunning stoppage-time comeback, bringing fresh energy, quality and physicality to the team. The Croatian midfielder caused problems with his dribbling and efforts on goal, while the young striker added to the pressure, winning back possession at a crucial moment and giving the Fiorentina defence plenty to deal with in the box. When the final whistle blew, they joined their teammates in celebration as San Siro erupted with joy. Another memorable victory, and another example of the never-say-die attitude Inter have shown throughout the opening weeks of the season.
Here's what the two Nerazzurri players had to say after the win over Fiorentina:
“I'm feeling so many different emotions right now, it's hard to put them all into words. I came on at a point when I really wasn't expecting to, and it's always an incredible feeling. Thankfully, everything went well and we managed to turn the game around. Coming on was a real surprise. I'd played for the U23s yesterday, so I wasn't expecting to get any minutes today, but I was ready when called upon and I'm happy I could help the team. The penalty? I didn't really realise what had happened at first. I just asked who had been fouled. The important thing is that we scored and won the game. Thuram? I hadn't seen him for a while, but he's always joking around with us. I haven't had a chance to speak to the coach yet. He decided to bring me on and I just tried to do my best to repay his faith in me. When I first came on, the coach told me to play through the middle, with Bonny and Thuram either side of me. Then the game became a bit more chaotic and we ended up switching positions. Once we'd taken the lead late on, we dropped deeper and managed to hold on for the 2-1 win. I try to learn from all the first-team strikers. The four of them are fantastic players, and I try to pick up the best qualities from each of them. My aim is to keep learning and improving.”
Matteo Lavelli
“Lo abbiamo fatto di nuovo, un altra rimonta. Credevamo sempre di poter rimontare e dare questa gioia ai nostri tifosi, continuando sempre a spingere fino alla fine. La nostra mentalità è quella di non mollare mai e di continuare a crederci. Il mister ci chiede di giocare controllando il pallone, mettendo in calcio un approccio offensivo: i 32 tiri che abbiamo tentato oggi sono tanti, abbiamo tanta qualità da sfruttare e il modo migliore per farlo è cercare di andare in avanti e creare occasioni. Vincere una partita negli ultimi minuti è la cosa più bella del mondo, cerchiamo sempre di rimanere insieme nei momenti belli e in quelli brutti: oggi eravamo felicissimi per la vittoria negli ultimi minuti e volevamo festeggiare da squadra, è uno dei momenti più belli che ci dà il calcio. Per me è normale voler aiutare la squadra sia da titolare che da subentrato, ho cercato di dare il massimo per aiutare la squadra a ribaltare il risultato provando a lasciare il segno. Prendiamo questi tre punti che sono la cosa più importante, abbiamo giocato un'ottima partita e creato tantissime occasioni, dobbiamo essere contenti di come abbiamo giocato e del risultato. ”
Petar Sucic