Inter Milan will need to be more focused and competitive when they play AC Milan again on Sunday after playing poorly in their first two derbies this season, according to manager Simone Inzaghi.
Matteo Gabbia headed the game-winning goal in the last seconds of Inter’s 2-1 loss to Milan in September, and the team fell to its rivals 3-2 in the Italian Super Cup in January.
“We know the value of the opponent, this year the first two derbies went badly.
” The first deservedly, because Milan did well,” Inzaghi told reporters on Saturday.
“In the second in Riyadh, we were in control and we had to be better in the incidents: the first goal was tainted by a foul on (Kristjan) Asllani.
“We have to react, we have to be better in the decisive moments of the match, which can turn against you in football.”
After the Milan derby, Inter will host Fiorentina on February 10 in a rescheduled match that was suspended in December due to midfielder Edoardo Bove’s collapse.
Inzaghi stated that Inter had played 16 games in the previous two months and that their busy Serie A schedule, along with their Coppa Italia quarterfinal matchup against Lazio on February 25, would prevent the team from playing at their best.
“We have played sixteen games in two months … now we have the (rearranged game) with Fiorentina and the Coppa Italia on a particular date: it will prevent us from working at our best as we thought, but it doesn’t depend on us,” Inzaghi said.
“As for (the Fiorentina game), they have set this date that we didn’t expect, the date of the Coppa Italia could have been different, but we know that we will have to run in February too.
“We thought getting into the top eight of the Champions League would allow us to work differently, instead we will do it like in January.”
Inter advanced to the round of 16 and avoided a two-leg playoff by finishing fourth in the Champions League first phase table.
With 50 points, they are three points behind Napoli in Serie A, but they still have a game left.
If they defeat Milan, who are in seventh place with 34 points, they might briefly take the lead.
Third-place Atalanta, with 46 points, hosts Torino on Saturday, while Napoli travels to AS Roma for their late game on Sunday.
“At this moment, Napoli, Inter and Atalanta have taken a bit of an advantage.
” I wouldn’t forget the teams behind, who can make a run like these three favourites,” Inzaghi said.
