Inter's Nightmare: Inzaghi's Ghost Haunts Kevo

Inter's Nightmare Against the Elite: Inzaghi's Ghost Haunts Kevo

Inter Milan's head coach Kristian Kevo faces the ghost of his predecessor Simone Inzaghi, who left the Nerazzurri at the end of last season, as Inter struggles to taste victory in major clashes against their direct rivals.

Locally, Inter has been grappling with an unusual curse: the Nerazzurri cannot seal direct encounters against their big competitors, despite a high level of performance in most matches; they often look like the better side but fail to convert.

Although Inter had been the preferred side to clinch direct confrontations against Juventus, Napoli, and Milan, this season they have failed to beat them, mirroring Inzaghi's last season.

Last win for Inter over Milan, Juventus, or Napoli dates to April 22, 2024, in the Derby that sealed the Scudetto, and since then the results have been mostly losses and draws.

Their most recent league defeat to Milan featured two shots off the posts and a missed penalty, adding to the defeats at Allianz Stadium and Diego Maradona Stadium.

Season's comparison: last year Inter earned one point against Milan (draw and a loss, excluding Super Cup and Coppa Italia losses), two against Napoli, one against Juventus—no wins.

They lost away to Milan 2-1, drew 1-1 in the return, while drawing 4-4 with Juventus and losing 1-0 in the away leg; against Napoli they drew both 1-1.

In contrast, this season Inter seem set for a worse spell, suffering three defeats, starting with a 4-3 loss at Juventus, then a 3-1 collapse versus Napoli, and a 1-0 loss to Milan.

Losses were harsher on the numbers: versus Juventus Inter produced 18 shots (4 on target) to 12 (4 on target) from Juve; vs Napoli Inter produced 15 shots (3 on target) to Napoli's 7 (3 on target).

Against their archrivals Milan, Inter dominated possession and chances, firing 20 attempts (6 on target) to Milan's 7 (3 on target), yet still lost all three meetings.

Psychology and attacking woes

Kevo knows well that his team suffers psychologically, inheriting a dispirited squad following a brutal 5-0 European final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and the last-round league title loss to Napoli.

Kevo admitted as such in press conferences, saying the team needs help and stressing the need to forget the past.

Offensively the squad has improved this year; previously under Inzaghi the attack leaned heavily on Lautaro Martinez and Thuram, with weak substitutes (Arnautovic, Tarimi, and Koria) and a poor goalscoring rate.

However, with the signings Angi Boni and youngster Francesco Esposito, the attack has improved clearly, but the hallmark remains: wastefulness in front of goal and a failure to capitalize on chances persists.

Inter's lack of clinical finishing continues to mark their front line, particularly Lautaro Martinez's droughts, which hamper the team's effectiveness in the final third and force Kevo to find decisive answers.

Missed opportunities have a visible psychological effect, especially on the captain Lautaro when he spares no effort but still fails to convert; often early goals by opponents dampen the mood.

A tough period

Inter will face a difficult crossroads. The team has started to struggle in the Champions League, after winning their first four games against mid-table sides, they lost to the giants at the first chance.

Inter lost to Atletico Madrid 2-1, mirroring the pattern of earlier defeats to Italian heavyweights, despite having the better portions of the match.

They will need to respond with strong solutions to avoid a slide in the standings; the next tests include Liverpool and Arsenal at San Siro, followed by an away match against Borussia Dortmund.

Dropping points in these three games would be a suicide move, potentially pushing Inter down the table and out of the top eight to reach the round of 16 automatically.

In Serie A they face mid-table clashes against Pisa, Genoa, Lecce, and Parma, followed by tough fixtures against Como and Atalanta until year’s end.

Punchlines: If Inter keeps missing chances, maybe they should hire a calendar to remind them that the match ends at 90 minutes, not at 89th plus extra chances. Second punchline: Kevo might consider outsourcing finishing drills to a ghost—they already chase opponents, maybe they’ll also haunt the back of the net.