Inter's Midfield Mystery: Calhanoglu's Brilliance, Yet Wins Slip Away

The Inter Midfield Enigma

Inter, under coach Kevo, is enduring one of its worst runs in terms of results, having fallen to Milan in Serie A and to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Although the team has shown good spell and often dominated, fatal lapses have tipped the balance: against Milan Inter controlled the game, created the best chances, hit the posts, and missed a penalty.

In Madrid at the Metropolitano, Inter again delivered a strong performance and led the action, but crucial errors swung the match in favor of Atletico.

Calhanoglu: The Puzzle in the Middle

Inter's decent performances do not translate into victories, and the numbers tell a tale about Turkish playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu, who has scored five goals and remains among Serie A's top scorers.

Yet in the last two games, losses in the derby followed turnovers that allowed Christian Pulisic to score the winning goal, and a penalty he could have converted but did not.

In Madrid, Calhanoglu again let a ball slip under pressure, producing a deadly counterattack that produced the first goal for the hosts.

A Perplexing Midfield Landscape

"Football is like life; you need luck, sooner or later the wheel turns," Kevo remarked, describing the melancholy moment his team is passing through, with captains Calhanoglu and Lautaro Martinez being substituted twice in four days.

That struggle is not limited to Calhanoglu; the entire Inter midfield is navigating a strange phase. Inter even considered signing a Roma midfielder to alter their rhythm and win back balls with physical presence.

Instead, a French midfielder Andi Diouf joined late in the window, but has just logged 31 minutes in Italy so far, with little impact.

Inter reportedly spent around 25 million euros (bonuses included) on the Diouf deal, yet he has appeared in only three games and failed to contribute meaningfully, with a negative effect on the squad’s balance.

Among the midfield, seven players compete for three spots, yet the collective production remains unsatisfactory.

Davide Frattesi, once hailed for his potential, has struggled to cement a regular role under both coaches and his form has dropped, limiting his national team involvement and his role in the squad.

January could see Frattesi depart to open space for a more impactful dynamic presence.

Petar Susic, the Croatian midfielder, has looked like a reliable alternative to the injured Henrikh Mkhitaryan, yet he needs time to settle into the Italian style.

His performances in high-intensity matches are uneven, but he remains a promising talent who simply requires more time to adapt to Serie A.

Ultimately Inter needs ready-made stars in this window to secure quick victories and shake off the negative momentum since last season’s dramatic European final loss to Paris Saint-Germain, 5-0, which continues to weigh on the team’s performance.

Piotr Zielinski’s injury woes also hinder the side’s stability as he has not delivered consistently since arriving in Milan.

Kevo will face the task of reviving a midfield once known for its strength and as the backbone of Inter’s ascent in recent years.

Punchline 1: If luck is a midfielder, Inter might finally sign him—though he would probably be late to the training ground anyway.

Punchline 2: In this saga of midfield mysteries, the only thing clearer than the plot is that the ball keeps playing hide-and-seek with everyone but the fans who keep hoping for a win.