Tactical breakthrough by Ivan Juric against Inter: at San Siro the four-man defense was revisited, the solution adopted in the first leg match
Ivan Juric returns to the past. As happened in the first leg, the Croatian coach deployed a four-man defense at San Siro, with Bellanova and Rodriguez on the wings. 4-2-3-1 was the formation with which Toro took the field and with which the Granata also played an excellent first half. Then Tameze’s expulsion inevitably affected the match and the team couldn’t withstand Calhanoglu’s blows: the final result was 2-0 at San Siro.
New position for Lazaro
Among the many innovations that Ivan Juric has adopted on the San Siro pitch there is certainly that relating to the position of Valentino Lazaro. During the season the Austrian has often played the position of full-back, but this time he had a more offensive role. The Croatian has in fact deployed him on the attacking midfield line, with not exactly exciting results. The double attacking midfielder solution has been abandoned, at least for the moment. Ricci, in a new position, and the usual Vlasic also acted in the three-man line behind Zapata. “Today I felt comfortable in this position where you often find yourself with your back to the door. The coach gave me some advice. I do what he asks of me and I try to do it as best as I can.”said the former Empoli player at the end of the match.
Zapata “real” tip
At San Siro we also saw a new Zapata, positioned alone at the center of the attack as a “real” number 9. A return to the past for Ivan Juric who during the season had always decided to partner him with another attacker, whether it was Sanabria or Okereke. The Colombian managed the defense alone and did so well, coming close to taking the lead on several occasions in the first half. Now he will have to understand whether the tactical solution adopted by Juric is only temporary, due to the characteristics of Inzaghi’s men, or whether the Croatian will want to continue to propose it again in the matches remaining at the end of the season. We will know more against Bologna.
